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Hog sector to focus on margins in face of outside volatility

'Counter-cyclical' moves seen in markets

MarketsFarm — The hog sector has found itself caught up in the general uncertainty of many commodity and financial markets — making it more difficult than normal to predict where values could be headed. “We’re seeing a ton of volatility and it feels like we’re in a bit of transition on supply versus expectations,” said […] Read more

CBOT July 2022 soybeans (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybean, corn futures slide in broad sell-off

Early heatwave in Western Europe could stress wheat

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean and corn futures fell on Monday as broad-based selling and pressure from losses in other markets overshadowed concerns about unfavourable crop weather, analysts said. Global stocks and government bonds plunged and the dollar hit two-decade highs as red-hot U.S. inflation stoked worries about even more aggressive policy tightening. At […] Read more


CME August 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle tumble on worries of waning demand

Hogs up off recent lows

Chicago | Reuters — Concerns about red-hot U.S. inflation knocked down Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and feeder cattle futures on Monday, as rising prices threaten beef demand, analysts said. Demand is most at risk for expensive steaks and other pricey cuts as some consumers shift to buying cheaper items, analysts said. U.S. consumer prices […] Read more

(Baxter Black video screen grab via YouTube)

U.S. cowboy poet and veterinarian Baxter Black, 77

Black appeared on Carson, NPR and in Grainews

U.S. cowboy poet, storyteller and veterinarian Baxter Black, whose work was a fixture for years in farm journals including Grainews, died Friday at age 77, his family reported. Born in New York in 1945, Black grew up in southern New Mexico and graduated from Colorado State University in 1969. He later relocated from Colorado to […] Read more


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Dairy farmers seek mid-year increase on farmgate milk prices

CDC to seek stakeholder comment next week

The Canadian Dairy Commission will seek out feedback from industry stakeholders next week on Canadian dairy farmers’ request for a mid-year raise in farmgate milk prices. The CDC said June 2 it had received a request from Dairy Farmers of Canada for the increase “due to the current inflationary environment.” If it’s approved, and if […] Read more

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Prairie cash wheat: Spring wheat up, durum pulls back

MarketsFarm — Wheat prices on the Canadian Prairies were mixed during the week ended Thursday. Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) and Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) wheats incurred moderate gains, as Canada Western Amber Durum (CWAD) fell back. Good upticks in the U.S. wheat complex fueled price increases in Western Canada, along with a weaker […] Read more


CME August 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2) and 100-day moving average (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures down in turnaround from rallies

July lean hogs close higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell on Friday on profit-taking, a session after prices reached multi-week highs, brokers said. The market was due to pull back after climbing six per cent since dropping on May 31 to their lowest price since October, brokers said. Strong demand from packers for a […] Read more

CBOT July 2022 soybeans (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans down off Thursday’s near-record high

Corn futures edge up, K.C. wheat jumps

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures ended weaker on Friday on profit-taking, after rallying close to an all-time high on strong U.S. export demand and supply concerns. Supply uncertainty remained, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut its estimates for 2021-22 domestic ending stocks by about 13 per cent to 205 […] Read more


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June USDA report includes few changes or surprises

U.S. corn, soybean carryout projections down from May's

MarketsFarm — There were only a handful of major changes in the monthly supply and demand report released Friday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). “I thought it was neutral to a little bit friendly,” said Terry Reilly, grains analyst with Futures International in Chicago. Perhaps most notable were the ending stocks for new-crop […] Read more

(Government of Alberta via Flickr)

Rains bring much-needed moisture to Alberta’s south

MarketsFarm — Rains across southern and central regions of Alberta were both much-needed and well-received during the week ended Tuesday. Both regions received 20 to 50 millimetres of precipitation, according to the province’s weekly crop report released Friday. The amount of rain that fell onto the south region was equivalent to the amount of precipitation […] Read more