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

U.S. livestock: Hogs limit down on new China stats

Live cattle futures up with cash values

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures fell their daily three-U.S.-cent limit on Wednesday, pressured by falling U.S. wholesale prices for pork products and news of increasing hog numbers in China, traders said. China’s pig herd rose 23.5 per cent in May from a year earlier, state media said on Wednesday, […] Read more

CBOT July 2021 soybeans (candlesticks) with CME July 2021 crude palm oil and ICE July 2021 canola (green and yellow lines, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans down with vegetable oil prices

Chicago July corn, wheat up

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures fell on Wednesday to their lowest level in nearly two months, pressured by a retreat in global vegetable oil prices from multi-year highs, analysts said. Corn and wheat futures ended mixed, with the nearby July corn and wheat contracts closing higher, while back months declined. Chicago Board of […] Read more


CME August 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle hit two-month high

CME lean hogs end mixed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures rose more than two per cent on Tuesday, setting a two-month high as deferred prices for corn, the main feed grain for cattle, continued to fall, traders said. CME benchmark August live cattle futures settled up 2.625 cents at 123.9 cents/lb. after reaching 124.125 […] Read more

The USDA building in Washington, D.C. (Art Wager/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. ag secretary backs proposed meatpacking investigator

Reuters — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday threw his support behind a proposal to establish a special investigator to address concerns about anti-competitive practices in the meat and poultry industries. Republican U.S. Senators Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Charles Grassley of Iowa and Democratic Senator Jon Tester of Montana have proposed legislation […] Read more


CBOT July 2021 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20- and 100-day moving averages (green and black lines) and ICE November 2021 canola (yellow line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy eases on improved weather view

Chicago corn mixed, wheat down

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures fell on Tuesday on an improved weather outlook for the Midwest crop belt, analysts said. The forecasts for cooler and wetter conditions later this month also pressured new-crop corn futures on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), although front-month July gained against back months on spreads, reflecting tight […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market heating up

Volumes thin with auction barns in holiday mode

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling steers traded $3-$4 higher while yearling heifers were steady to $2 higher. Mid-weight calves or young yearlings from 600 to 800 lbs. were $3-$5 higher on average. Calves under 600 lbs. were relatively unchanged. Favourable rains across the Prairies have enhanced crop prospects for barley and wheat. April […] Read more

(MyLand.ag)

AGI to buy into soil microbe breeding firm

Machinery maker to take minority stake in MyLand

A U.S. company ramping up a system to harvest, reproduce and restore beneficial microbes from a field’s own soils, as a way to restore peak fertility, expects to get backing soon from a Canadian farm equipment maker. Winnipeg-based Ag Growth International (AGI) said Monday it has signed a conditional letter of intent with Phoenix-based MyLand […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures climb as corn prices cool

Lean hogs end lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures rose on Monday, reaching a one-month top as falling prices for feed grains lifted feeder cattle futures, traders said. CME August live cattle futures settled up 1.25 cents at 121.275 cents/lb. after reaching 121.575 cents, the contract’s highest since May 13. August feeder cattle […] Read more

CBOT July 2021 corn (candlesticks) with CBOT, MGEX and K.C. July 2021 wheat (orange, green and yellow lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soy sag as crop weather outlook improves

Moisture stress remains in parts of Corn Belt

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell by almost four per cent on Monday on forecasts for improving crop weather in the Midwest, including cooler temperatures and beneficial rains late this week, analysts said. Soybeans fell more than two per cent and wheat followed the weaker trend as the U.S. winter wheat harvest got […] Read more