Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday announced a goal for biofuels to make up 30 per cent of U.S. transportation fuels by 2050, a move that could bolster an industry that has been otherwise battered by the Trump administration. Refineries are currently required to blend 20.09 billion gallons of biofuel […] Read more

Trump’s ag department sets 30 per cent biofuel goal for 2050

U.S. grains: Soybeans up as China pledges to fulfill purchases
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose for a sixth straight session on Monday on expectations that Beijing will meet the purchasing targets agreed in the Phase One trade deal with Washington, although concerns about the coronavirus outbreak in China capped gains. The most active soybean futures contract on the Chicago Board Of Trade […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle, hogs slip on concerns over export demand
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures closed lower on Monday as optimism over export demand began to cool, and live cattle futures fell as pressure from slumping cash prices continued to weigh on the market, traders said. Benchmark April lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) settled down 1.175 cents at […] Read more

U.S. grains: Prices narrowly mixed as traders assess Mideast risk
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean and grain futures were narrowly mixed on Wednesday as traders’ jitters eased after Iran and the United States signalled a de-escalation of tensions after an Iranian missile attack against U.S. forces in Iraq. Investors also continued to square positions ahead of a key U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) crop […] Read more

U.S. grains: Markets remain cautious, rangebound ahead of holiday
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. soybean futures were mixed on Tuesday, slipping at one point from a six-week high hit in the previous session, as grain markets remained cautious and positive trade news with China weighed against disappointing export sales data, traders said. The market has high expectations of top-consumer China ramping up soy purchases […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hog futures slip ahead of USDA report
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. hog futures eased back on Monday, ahead of a quarterly government report that is expected to show a healthy boost to the size of the U.S. hog herd, traders said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s quarterly Hogs and Pigs report is expected to show the herd increased 2.9 percent in […] Read more

Grain flow shifts from China trade war may last years, CHS says
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S.-China trade war has accelerated Brazilian efforts to erode the United States’ share of the world soybean export market, and some of the shifts in global grain flows could last for years, according to executives at CHS Inc., the largest U.S. farmer co-operative. Even with a so-called ‘Phase One’ trade […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs mixed on trade detail uncertainty
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures slipped on Tuesday, as uncertainty about details from the U.S.-China “Phase 1” trade agreement continued to make the market nervous, brokers said. Meanwhile, Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live and feeder cattle futures continued to consolidate after Friday’s big price rally in the wake of the trade agreement news. […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs relatively steady on trade deal hopes
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures remained relatively steady on Monday but funds continued to hold their long positions in anticipation of a surge of demand for U.S. meat after the U.S.-China “Phase 1” trade agreement is finalized, traders said. U.S. lean hog futures inched upward, rising for a third session on the same […] Read more

U.S. grains: CBOT wheat surges to five-month high
Corrected, Nov. 30 — Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures exploded to a five-month high on Friday due to threats to global production and as fund scrambled to cover their short positions in the post-holiday market, traders said. The wheat rally gave support to Chicago corn futures, which hit a three-week high on the […] Read more