Reading Time: 2 minutes Vacaville, California | Reuters — Lightning strikes sparked dozens of wildfires in northern California’s wine country on Wednesday, burning dozens of structures and forcing thousands to flee their homes. California was hit by nearly 11,000 lightning strikes in 72 hours, sparking 367 fires, nearly two dozen of them major, as the state suffered a record […] Read more
‘Lightning siege’ sparks wildfires across California wine country
Almost 11,000 strikes reported over 72 hours
Storm and drought impacts on Iowa corn seen in crop tour
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — A clearer picture of damage to crops in the path of last week’s derecho storm emerged on Wednesday, as crop scouts on an annual tour scrambled across blown-over corn stalks and wind-battered soybean fields in Illinois and Iowa. Iowa officials on Tuesday warned much of the crop in the path of […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans touch seven-month high on export optimism
Wheat stays firm on demand
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures climbed to a seven-month high on Wednesday on U.S. export optimism and concerns over continued dryness across parts of the U.S. Midwest, traders said. Chicago corn edged lower, as a Midwest crop tour estimated higher yields, offsetting storm damage concerns in Iowa. The most active soybean contract on […] Read more
Trump visits Iowa as officials warn storm destroyed corn crops
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cedar Rapids | Reuters — U.S. lawmakers and state officials from Iowa said on Tuesday that much of the state’s corn crop will not be harvested following a fierce windstorm last week, as President Donald Trump visited to review the damage. The destruction from the Aug. 10 derecho storm compounded troubles for a U.S. agricultural […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn retreats from month high on clearer crop outlook
Soybeans ease after seven-month high
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures ended lower on Tuesday after hitting a five-week high on Monday as higher yields estimated on an annual Midwest crop tour tempered concern about storm damage across the Corn Belt. Soybean futures declined but held near Monday’s multi-month high as concerns over dry Midwest weather offset better-than-expected crop […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans near seven-month high as dryness threatens crop
Corn up one per cent after storm hits U.S. crop in key growing region
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures rallied on Monday to a nearly seven-month high on reports of dry weather in the United States, while corn futures hit their highest in a month on fresh concerns over damage from a storm in Iowa a week ago. August has been one of the driest on record […] Read more
Churchill’s shipping season to start next month
Tracks 'in good shape' leading to northern Manitoba port
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — There won’t be any vessels laden with grains and pulses departing from the Port of Churchill until next month, according to Murad Al-Katib, CEO of AGT Foods in Regina. “We’re in the early days of harvest, so it would be very normal to expect the first vessels to arrive in the first half […] Read more
Monday’s storm hit an estimated 37.7 million acres in U.S. Midwest
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — A storm packing hurricane-force winds on Monday impacted 37.7 million acres of farmland across the Midwest, including 14 million in Iowa, the Iowa Soybean Association said on Friday, citing estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The toll from the derecho storm has worsened as farmers and grain handlers have spent […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn eases on profit-taking
Traders question USDA numbers, raising uncertainty
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn inched slightly lower on Friday, as traders questioned federal acreage data and assessed the extent of storm damage in the U.S. Midwest. Prices slipped early in the day, after a rally in the previous session pushed corn futures to a four-week high. Soybeans also fell after jumping to a […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans, corn up after USDA confirms massive U.S. crops
Traders assessing damage from Midwest storm Monday
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn and soybean futures rose on Wednesday as short-covering and position-squaring emerged after the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed expectations for massive crops, traders said. USDA, in a monthly report, said U.S. farmers will reap their biggest corn harvest and second-biggest soybean harvest, thanks to favourable weather. […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
