Feeder and live cattle futures turned higher on Thursday, as technical trading, a steady cash market and weakness in grain futures gave cattle contracts a boost.

U.S. livestock: Cattle close higher, lean hogs fall ahead of USDA report

Starch makers forced to adapt after poor wheat crop in France
A sharp fall in the quality of France's wheat crop due to excess rain will lead to additional costs for starch makers just as the industry is still suffering from low demand and increasing competition from imports

U.S. grains: CBOT soybeans, wheat see volatile trade as drought risks weigh
Chicago soybeans touched a new two-month peak before ending lower on Tuesday, amid questions over export demand and late-season drought impacts on U.S. crop yields, traders said.

U.S. livestock: Cattle close mostly lower, consolidating after 2-month top
Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended mostly lower on Wednesday, consolidating a day after the benchmark December contract LCZ25 set a near two-month high.

U.S. grains: Wheat turns higher on Russia weather worries; soy, corn also rally
U.S. wheat futures turned higher on Wednesday as worries about crop prospects in top global exporter Russia sparked a round of short-covering, analysts said.

Agriculture groups urge White House to avert U.S. East Coast port disruption
Dozens of groups including the American Farm Bureau Federation, Renewable Fuels Association and American Chemistry Council said "the time has come for the U.S. government to intervene and ensure port operations do not stop" in order to prevent damage to U.S. agriculture and the economy.

BASF targets partial listing of agriculture division
BASF is planning a partial listing of its agricultural business because the stock market is underestimating the unit's earnings prospects within the group, the German chemicals giant's new CEO told staff on Wednesday.

U.S. port strike threatens vital trade arteries
Some 45,000 union workers could walk off the job at seaports on the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts on Oct 1, cutting off vital trade arteries just weeks ahead of the nation's presidential election.

U.S. livestock: CME cattle end mostly higher as Wall Street climbs
Benchmark December live cattle futures LCZ24 on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange climbed to their highest in nearly two months on Tuesday, supported by technical buying and a rosy outlook for beef demand tied to strength in Wall Street equity markets, analysts said.

U.S. grains: Soybeans hit 2-month high before paring gains; corn, wheat sag
U.S. soybean and corn futures climbed to two-month highs on Tuesday, following broad gains in commodity and equity markets after China unveiled economic stimulus measures, but pared gains as forecasts called for improved crop weather in South America, analysts said.