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U.S. Supreme Court backs refineries in biofuel waiver dispute

Top court overturns ruling against EPA granting waivers

Reuters — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday made it easier for small oil refineries to win exemptions from a federal law requiring increasing levels of ethanol and other renewable fuels to be blended into their products, a major setback for biofuel producers. The justices overturned a lower court decision that had faulted the U.S. […] Read more



CBOT November 2021 soybeans (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2) and ICE November 2021 canola (yellow line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybean futures fall after rain

Chicago corn, wheat futures both mixed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn soybean futures fell on Thursday, pressured by rain in key growing areas of the U.S. Midwest this week, traders said. “I think it is probably confirmation of fairly widespread rain in areas that were in really dire straits,” said Chuck Shelby, president of Risk Management Commodities. […] Read more

CME July 2021 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20- and 100-day moving averages (pink and brown lines) and August 2021 live cattle (dark red open/high/low/close). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: July hogs limit-down to lowest since late March

August live cattle down, feeders up

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures tumbled to their lowest in nearly three months on Thursday with rising supplies pressuring the market, traders said. CME July hogs settled down the 4.5-cent daily trading limit at 100.025 cents/lb. (all figures US$). That was the lowest for the front-month contract since March 29. Actively […] Read more


Canada/U.S. border signage in downtown Detroit. (RiverNorthPhotography/Getty Images)

Canada to lift more border restrictions in weeks to come, Trudeau says

Ottawa | Reuters — Canada will further relax border restrictions in the weeks to come as long as the science supports such a move, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday, suggesting Ottawa would move more quickly than initially announced. Trudeau, under pressure to allow non-essential travel from the U.S., was more categorical than he had […] Read more

ICE July 2021 canola (candlesticks) with 20-day movjng average (green line), ICE November 2021 canola (yellow line) and CBOT July 2021 soybeans (black line, left column). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Weather, carryout support canola

MarketsFarm — As higher-than-normal temperatures become almost a weekly occurrence in Western Canada amidst tightening carryout stocks, canola seems primed for another extended rally. Despite rains in Western Canada over the past three weeks, providing some relief for canola crops and triggering fund liquidation on the markets, carryout remains very low, with warmer temperatures exacerbating […] Read more


MGEX September 2021 spring wheat (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (green line) and CBOT September 2021 wheat and corn (yellow and orange lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat rallies on Plains weather concerns

Chicago soybeans, corn weaker

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures rose on Wednesday, led by gains in MGEX spring wheat contracts that firmed on concerns that dry conditions in key growing areas of the northern U.S. Plains and Canada could limit the size of the harvests. Soybean futures were lower as improving crop prospects in the U.S. Midwest […] Read more

CME August 2021 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines) and August 2021 live cattle (dark red line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures fall as cash pork prices slide

Cattle futures, beef cutout values lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures fell sharply on Wednesday, with the front-month Chicago Mercantile Exchange contract sinking 2.8 per cent to its lowest in more than two months. Weakness in the cash market pressured hog futures, traders said. CME July hogs settled down three cents at 104.525 cents/lb., its lowest since April […] Read more


MGEX July 2021 spring wheat (candlesticks) with CBOT and K.C. July 2021 winter wheats (yellow and green lines). (Barchart)

CBOT weekly outlook: MGEX wheat spread widens over winter wheats

MarketsFarm — Hot, dry growing conditions in key spring wheat-growing regions of the northern U.S. and Canadian Prairies have seen Minneapolis (MGEX) spring wheat futures widen their spread over Chicago and Kansas City winter wheat contracts over the past few weeks — with additional strength likely given the current weather forecasts. Nearby spring wheat futures, […] Read more

Seasonal flu shots are recommended to help limit spread of flu viruses between people and livestock. (Inside Creative House/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Another swine flu variant case appears in Manitoba

Variant of H3N2 confirmed in southern Manitoba resident

A single and apparently isolated case of another influenza variant normally seen in hogs has turned up in a Manitoba resident, the province announced Monday. Manitoba Public Health on Monday said the H3N2 influenza variant (H3N2v) seen in this case is related to flu viruses that circulate in pigs, noting that while such viruses don’t […] Read more