CME February 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures drift lower on technical selling

Back months in hogs, cattle draw speculators' interest

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures closed lower on Friday on light technical selling, with the spot February contract pressured as speculators rolled long positions into forward months, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) February live cattle futures settled down 0.5 cent at 114.475 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Friday was the first day of […] Read more


CBOT March 2021 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans to 6-1/2-year top on expectations of tightening stocks

Corn futures up, wheat retreats

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures resumed their rally on Friday after a light setback a day earlier, climbing to 6-1/2-year highs on signs of fresh export demand and expectations that key U.S. crop reports next week will indicate tightening global supplies. Corn futures also rose, hovering near multi-year highs set this week above […] Read more

File photo of a cornfield in Argentina. (Reisegraf/iStock/Getty Images)

Argentina ‘evaluating’ corn export suspension

Move meant to boost domestic food supplies

Buenos Aires | Reuters — Argentina’s government said on Thursday it would review its decision to temporarily suspend corn exports after a meeting between the farming minister and the leaders of the country’s main agricultural associations. The agriculture ministry said in a statement that agreements had been struck to guarantee the domestic supply of corn […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Barley, wheat prices very likely to increase

Increases seen tied to rising U.S. corn

MarketsFarm — Two Alberta traders believe strong feed grain prices will continue to push higher over the next week of January, with much of the upswing tied to the rise in corn prices in the U.S. “As corn edges higher, becoming the preferred direct replacement to barley, your barley floor comes up and wheat starts […] Read more

CME March 2021 feeder cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle end mixed, feeders firm

Cattle take cues from pause in corn rally

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures closed narrowly mixed on Thursday with the spot February contract drifting lower in rangebound trade, awaiting direction from cash markets, while back months firmed on optimism about the U.S. economy, traders said. Feeder cattle futures rose as prices for corn, the main feed grain for cattle, retreated from […] Read more


CBOT March 2021 soybeans with 20- and 50-day moving averages and March 2021 soybean oil (dark green line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy, corn futures ease off six-year highs

New USDA reports awaited

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures declined on Thursday for the first time in seven sessions, pausing after concerns about dry weather in South America and export disruption in Argentina pushed prices to their highest in more than six years. Corn futures also eased and wheat fell for a second session after hitting multiyear […] Read more

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Railways overshoot grain revenue limits for 2019-20

Grain revenues run $5.3 million over caps, CTA rules

Canada’s big two railways have about two more weeks to hand over about $5.6 million in Prairie grain revenue overages and related penalties for the 2019-20 crop year. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) on Dec. 22 ruled Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) each overshot their maximum revenue entitlements (MREs) for the […] Read more


Soybeans. (Alfribeiro/iStock/Getty Images)

China building world’s largest seed bank

Larger facility a bid to boost food security

Beijing | Reuters — China will complete a new national crop germplasm bank this year, the agriculture minister said Wednesday, to boost the country’s capacity to develop new crop varieties and enhance food security. The bank has a designed capacity of 1.5 million copies, almost four times the existing one, and will be the world’s […] Read more

(Dave Bedard file photo)

Manitoba to consolidate and shut agriculture, MASC offices

Province announces 'new rural service delivery model'

Updated, Jan. 7 — Manitoba’s agriculture and resource development department and crop insurance and ag lending agency will close their offices in 21 communities and consolidate others this spring, in a bid to reduce their “physical footprint.” Agriculture Minister Blaine Pedersen on Wednesday announced what the province billed as “a new rural service delivery model […] Read more