Reuters — La Nina conditions were present in August, and have a 75 per cent chance of continuing through the Northern Hemisphere winter of 2020-21, a U.S. government weather forecaster said on Thursday. The La Nina pattern is characterized by unusually cold temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. A borderline moderate La Nina event is […] Read more

La Nina present, 75 per cent chance seen through 2020 winter

U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise as cash values firm
Live cattle follow cash cattle, beef prices lower
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures rose on Wednesday, reaching a four-month high on firming cash hog prices, optimism about pork demand and technical buying, analysts said. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange October lean hog futures contract settled above its 200-day moving average, rising 1.475 cents to end at 61.375 cents/lb. after reaching 61.725 […] Read more

ICE weekly outlook: Canola shows volatility after long weekend
MarketsFarm — Although there remains a lot of canola to be combined, one trader believes most harvest pressure on the market has already passed. “The farmers who wanted to sell off of the combine or shortly after, probably have done so already,” said Jerry Klassen, an independent Winnipeg commodities trader. There will still be some […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: Export demand underpins commodities
MarketsFarm — Commodity prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) have found support from recent increases in global export demand. China has purchased nearly 900,000 tonnes of soybeans for delivery during the current marketing year, which began on Sept. 1. “It’s all about Chinese demand,” said Terry Reilly of Futures International in Chicago. “They […] Read more

Germany reports first suspected case of African swine fever
German producers currently exporting pork to China
Berlin | Reuters — Germany’s ministry of food and agriculture said on Wednesday it had a suspected case of African swine fever (ASF) in a wild boar in the eastern state of Brandenburg. The suspected case concerned a wild boar carcass found near the German-Polish border. A sample of the carcass was being taken for […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy extends rally as China keeps buying
Data awaited from USDA
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures climbed on Wednesday to their highest in more than two years and recorded a 12th straight daily advance on continued export demand from China, coupled with worries about crop-killing frost in parts of the Midwest, analysts said. Wheat futures ended narrowly mixed while corn futures drifted lower in […] Read more

Bibeau not considering closing AgriInvest accounts
Minister wouldn't order farmers to pull funds
Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau is not considering ordering producers to withdraw from their AgriInvest accounts. “Not in this way. All the options are on the table for the future, but I’ve never considered asking them to withdraw, to empty their accounts, to face COVID-19,” she said in an interview Friday. Bibeau had previously expressed […] Read more

U.S. rolls back inspection rules for egg products
New rule to affect 83 U.S. facilities
Chicago | Reuters — The Trump administration said Wednesday it will stop requiring U.S. plants that produce egg products to have full-time government inspectors, in the first update of inspection methods in 50 years. Under a new rule that takes effect immediately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will allow companies such as Cargill and Sonstegard […] Read more

Grain traffic at Thunder Bay up 27 per cent on year
MarketsFarm — Grain movement through the Port of Thunder Bay is reported to be up 27 per cent compared to the previous year halfway through the 2020 shipping season. A total of 5.05 million tonnes of grain were shipped through Thunder Bay as of Aug. 31, port officials said in a release. That compares with […] Read more

Fund traders add to net long in canola, soybeans
MarketsFarm — Fund traders remain bullish on soybeans and canola, adding to their net long positions in the two oilseeds, according to the latest commitment of traders (CoT) report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Managed money fund traders were holding a net long position in ICE Futures canola of 37,682 contracts as […] Read more