U.S. grains merchant Bunge BG. and Glencore-backed Viterra's plan to create a $34 billion agricultural trading giant will be decided by EU antitrust regulators by July 18, a European Commission filing showed on Monday.

EU regulators to decide on Bunge and Viterra merger by July 18

U.S. livestock: Live cattle end mixed, hogs rise on strong pork exports
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended mixed on Friday as wholesale beef price firmed and packer margins improved, but traders remain concerned that cash market values may be near a seasonal peak, analysts said.

U.S. grains: Wheat marks biggest weekly loss in nearly a year as Turkey bans imports
Chicago wheat futures Wv1 fell for an eighth day on Friday for their lowest close in a month after Turkey said it would halt wheat imports in a blow to the global demand outlook.

US to research possible respiratory spread of bird flu in cows
U.S. federal and state agencies are planning research into potential respiratory spread of bird flu among dairy cattle, according to a Reuters interview with Michigan state agriculture and public health officials.

Russia declares federal state of emergency in 10 agricultural regions
Russia said on Friday it was declaring a federal emergency in 10 regions because of damage to crops resulting from frosts in May.

U.S. grains: Corn and soy futures rise on new Brazilian tax rule
Chicago Board of Trade corn Cv1 and soybean Sv1 futures rose on Thursday as news of tighter rules on industry tax credits in Brazil made traders and producers hopeful that it could boost U.S. export business, traders said.

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures down amid oversupply, weak retail demand
Live cattle and feeder cattle futures closed mostly lower at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Thursday as slow sales of beef products such as hamburgers and steak weighed on prices, Altin Kalo, economist at Steiner Group, said.

Bird flu outbreak reported in Minnesota dairy herd, the state’s first
The ongoing U.S. outbreak of avian flu in dairy cattle reached Minnesota on Thursday as the state announced its first infected herd.

Crop woes may lead Russia to narrow grain exports
Russian government says it may declare a nationwide emergency as frost, drought affects crop
Russia may narrow the spread of its grain exports in the new season due to crop problems, keeping supplies to its traditional markets, VTB board member Vitaly Sergeуchuk said.

Cows infected with bird flu have died in five US states
Dairy cows infected with avian flu in five U.S. states have died or been slaughtered by farmers because they did not recover, state officials and academics told Reuters.