Chicago | Reuters – U.S. wheat futures rallied on Thursday to multi-year highs, with gains fueled by concerns about tight global supplies and strong export demand. Winter wheat futures were supported by concerns about the crop conditions and rainy weather in the eastern U.S. Midwest that may have prevented farmers from seeding as much acreage […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat hits multi-year highs, pull corn higher; soy weak

Feed weekly outlook: Almost out of space for corn
MarketsFarm – At this point of the fall, there’s not much room still to be had for feed corn, according to Brandon Motz of CorNine Commodities in Lacombe, Alta. In the meantime, prices for feed barley and wheat continued to push higher. “The in-bound corn is picking up and we are starting to see new […] Read more

China calls for overhaul of farm subsidy rules under WTO
Beijing | Reuters – China on Thursday called for the removal of “enormous” farm subsidies in some developed countries as part of Beijing’s push for reform of the World Trade Organization. “There are very unfair rules in the agriculture sector, and enormous subsidies some developed country members are entitled to, that severely distort international agricultural trade,” Wang […] Read more

ICE weekly outlook: Canola speculators running market higher
MarketsFarm – ICE canola futures posted solid gains during the week ended Oct. 27, hitting fresh contract highs in many months as speculators added to their net long positions. “The specs have canola by the throat, and they’ll see how far they can run it,” said Ken Ball of PI Financial in Winnipeg. He said […] Read more

Flatbread firm FGF buys Weston Foods bakery business
Weston selling to focus on retail, real estate
The parent company for Canadian grocery and retail giant Loblaw is taking a major step out of the baked goods business. George Weston Ltd. announced Oct. 26 it would sell its Weston Foods fresh and frozen bakery businesses to an arm of Toronto-based bakery firm FGF Brands for $1.2 billion. The company expects to close […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn futures rally; pull soybean, wheat prices higher
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. corn futures on Wednesday rallied 2.5 percent to their highest level in more than two months, supported by signs of robust ethanol production that bolstered demand for the yellow grain, traders said. The strength in corn spilled over into the soybean and wheat markets. “You had humongous ethanol numbers,” said […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures hit near two-month high as cash markets firm
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures rose for the third day in a row on Wednesday, nearing a two-month high on signs of improving cash markets. Traders also said a stepped-up pace of slaughter in recent days indicated demand for beef remains high. CME lean hog futures closed lower, with the front-month […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: Potential U.S.-China trade deal moving markets
Speculation regarding a potential trade deal between the United States and China is sparking movement on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBoT). Ryan Ettner, broker for Allendale Inc. in McHenry, Ill., said there was optimism on the markets last week when trade representatives from both nations restarted talks. With the countries’ current deal expiring at […] Read more

Port of Churchill out of commission for two years
The sight of grain vessels being loaded at the Port of Churchill in northern Manitoba won’t happen for two years, according to Sheldon Affleck, chief executive officer of the Arctic Gateway Group (AGG). The group consists of 29 Indigenous and a dozen non-Indigenous communities that own and operate the rail line from The Pas to […] Read more

Coronavirus infections at U.S. meat plants far higher than previous estimates, House subcommittee hears
Cases and deaths from COVID-19 among workers at the leading U.S. meatpacking plants were three times as high as previously estimated, according to a report by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis seen by Reuters. The subcommittee surveyed major meatpackers Tyson Foods, JBS USA, Cargill, National Beef , and Smithfield Foods, which together control over 80 percent […] Read more