Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures jumped more than one per cent on Thursday to their highest level in 2-1/2 weeks as concerns about delayed planting in the western U.S. Midwest sparked buying and fund short-covering. Soybeans followed corn higher, although gains were restrained by lower-than-expected weekly export sales data and concerns about trade […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn rises as Midwest floods fuel planting concerns

U.S. farm belt slammed by floods, heavy snow from bomb cyclone
Reuters — A harsh late-winter storm broadsided a vast swath of the U.S. agriculture industry this week as heavy snow closed roads and buried cattle in the Plains while excessive rain flooded Midwest fields and swamped grain elevators. A “bomb cyclone” hurled hurricane-force winds, sparked tornadoes and dumped heavy snow and rain across the Plains […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs rally in technical, seasonal bounce
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures rose sharply on Friday in a technical and seasonal-buying rally that took prices to the highest in a month, traders said. Futures were also lifted by stronger cash hog and pork prices and on expectations for improving pork exports, especially if African swine fever in China elevates […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle rise on firm beef, cash prices
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures advanced on Thursday, lifted by firm beef and cash cattle markets and as investors took positions ahead of a monthly supply report due on Friday, traders said. Some feedlot cattle in the southern U.S. Plains traded at $128/cwt on Thursday, about steady with sales last week, and […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hogs dip from two-week high, await trade news
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures retreated on Wednesday after four straight sessions of gains in a technical and profit-taking setback from two-week highs as investors awaited new developments in U.S.-China trade negotiations. Cattle futures also fell broadly, although worries about a late-winter snowstorm forecast for the beef cattle-producing U.S. Plains underpinned the […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybeans firm on trade hopes
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures climbed to a 2-1/2-week high on Monday on hopes for a trade agreement between Washington and Beijing and after China vowed late last week to make additional U.S. soybean purchases. Wheat futures plunged around four per cent to fresh contract lows on technical selling and concerns about stiff […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs bounce on short-covering, technical buying
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures ended higher for the first time in three sessions on Friday on short covering and technical buying ahead of the extended Presidents Day holiday weekend, traders and analysts said. Futures had been technically oversold after sinking to seven-month lows early this week under pressure from large hog […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs stumble on weak pork, trade unease
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures fell for a second straight day on Thursday as weak pork prices and nervousness about trade talks between the U.S. and China weighed on the market, traders and analysts said. Officials from both countries are meeting in Beijing this week to try to hammer out a deal […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle sink on lower beef, slowing demand
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures declined for a second straight session on Wednesday as lower beef prices and seasonally slowing demand for the red meat triggered profit-taking and technical selling, traders and analysts said. Traders are awaiting the next wave of cattle sales at U.S. Plains feedlot markets, but cash market bids […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hog futures jump on U.S.-China trade hopes
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures jumped more than two per cent on Tuesday in a second straight day of strong gains fueled by hopes that U.S.-China trade talks would revive Chinese demand for American pork, traders and analysts said. Bargain buying further propelled gains after benchmark April futures dropped for four straight […] Read more