Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures gained on Monday as cattle processing picked up, led by strong beef prices, while feed cattle gained on tight supplies and a lower corn trade, analysts said. CME June live cattle futures added 2.2 cents to 118.225 cents/lb., while August feeder cattle futures finished 4.425 cents […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle gain as demand remains strong
Lean hogs down for second session

Morocco reimposing 170 per cent duty on hard wheat
Rabat | Reuters — Morocco will reimpose customs duty on soft and hard wheat of 135 and 170 per cent respectively from May 15 in order to cut imports at a time of higher prices in international markets, the agriculture ministry said Monday. The government had said last week the duties would be reintroduced from […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn, soy, wheat dip ahead of WASDE
Market eyes U.S. supply-demand reports for price direction
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn futures fell on Monday, pausing after rallying to eight-year highs last week, with traders focusing on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s upcoming world supply-demand (WASDE) report for new price direction. Wheat dipped, supported by beneficial rains across the U.S. Great Plains, while soybeans traded mixed on continued tight supplies. […] Read more

Canada left with very tight canola, barley stocks
'You can't find canola anywhere in the country'
MarketsFarm — Statistics Canada’s grain stocks report leaves no question that canola stocks have been tight for some time in Canada and will continue to be unless demand is slashed, according to independent trader Jerry Klassen in Winnipeg. “You can’t find canola anywhere in the country and the stocks that are out there, a lot […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn, soy futures hit multi-year highs on supply fears
Dryness in Brazil fuels supply fears
Chicago | Reuters — Concerns that global crop supplies will remain lean pushed Chicago Board of Trade corn futures to their highest price since March 2013 on Friday, while soybean futures reached their highest since October 2012. The markets surged before the weekend as traders braced for the potential of further rallies driven by tightening […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures up on beef prices, demand
June hogs down off recent rallies
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures rose on Friday on strong beef prices and demand for red meat that also catapulted margins for beef processors. Meat demand is high as federal stimulus checks have increased incomes and prompted consumers to spend more at supermarkets and restaurants, analysts said. COVID-19 vaccinations are also […] Read more

Cervus expects chip shortages may continue into fall
Deere dealer chain books increased Q1 profit
The semiconductor chip shortage plaguing automotive and equipment manufacturers may last into the second and even third quarters of the year, farm equipment retailer Cervus Group says. Calgary-based Cervus — which operates 64 dealerships in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, including 38 devoted mainly to Deere farm equipment — expects increased demand to run up […] Read more

Ocean freight rates at decade highs
MarketsFarm — Ocean freight rates have climbed steadily higher over the past year, recovering from the lows hit at the start of the pandemic in early 2020 to see their highest levels in over a decade. The Baltic Dry Index (BDI), a major indicator of shipping rates, hit a high of 3,266 points on Wednesday. […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Drought, demand deplete southern Alberta stocks
MarketsFarm — Prices for feed grains are continuing to go up — and with depleted stocks and dry conditions forecast for the Prairies, they are likely to rise a bit more. “There’s a shortage of corn. Corn’s at over $400 (per tonne) in southern Alberta. You’ve got barley that’s pushing over $340-$350 and that’s a […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn futures pierce eight-year peak
Soy rallies on supply worries
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn futures extended a rally above eight-year highs on Thursday as dry weather threatened harvest yields in major exporter Brazil and kept traders’ focus on ebbing global supplies. Soybeans approached an 8-1/2-year peak reached last week, buoyed by rallying vegetable oil prices, and wheat was also higher. […] Read more