Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures fell to a two-month low on Thursday on large supplies and uncertainty over negotiations to boost trade with China, the world’s top pork consumer. Traders and meat producers are hoping for further U.S. pork sales to China, which is grappling with a fatal pig disease that has […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hogs reach two-month low

U.S. livestock: Hogs drop on large supply, trade war jitters
Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. livestock futures dropped on Wednesday, with lean hogs stumbling under pressure from large supplies in a turnaround from a rally a session earlier. Fresh uncertainty over U.S.-China trade relations added pressure to the hog market, analysts said. Traders and meat producers are hoping for further U.S. pork sales to China, […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybeans sag on diminishing hopes for China deal
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures slipped on Wednesday on diminishing hopes for a deal to ease the trade war with China that has slowed exports of U.S. agricultural products. The market turned lower after a report that trade negotiations “hit a snag” over farm purchases. U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday dangled the […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat futures rally as U.S. cold snap threatens crops
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. wheat futures jumped on Tuesday as traders worried a cold snap would hurt recently planted crops. Temperatures dropped near zero Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius) in wheat-growing areas of the U.S. Plains, including in western Kansas, according to a daily weather report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A separate weekly USDA report, […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle set six-month high on fund buying, firm cash prices
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. live cattle futures shot to a six-month high on Friday and feeder cattle reached their highest prices since May on fund buying and strength in the cash market, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) December live cattle settled up 2.3 cents at 119.525 cents per pound after reaching 119.7 cents, […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures retreat from multi-month highs
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. cattle futures fell on Thursday in a turnaround from multi-month highs reached the previous session. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) December live cattle ended 1.075 cents lower at 117.225 cents per pound after reaching 118.600 cents on Wednesday, its highest since April 25. CME most-active January feeder cattle futures slipped 0.125 […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn prices stumble on hopes for better U.S. harvest conditions
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. corn futures slipped on Thursday on expectations that weather conditions may turn more favorable for harvesting, giving a small break to soggy fields and farmers, traders said. Drier weather across the U.S. corn belt from Friday through much of next week should allow growers to make better progress after rain, […] Read more

Bunge shares slide as China trade war, pig disease upset exports
Reuters – Agricultural merchant Bunge Ltd warned on Wednesday of a drop in annual profits due to mounting challenges to its grain trading and processing business from the U.S.-China trade war and a fatal pig disease in Asia, sending shares down more than 4 percent. The company reported better-than-expected third-quarter profits, driven by higher margins […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn futures edge up on worries over U.S. weather, late harvest
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. corn futures crept higher on Wednesday on uncertainty about unfavourable weather threatening the size and quality of delayed autumn harvests. Traders were watching forecasts as snow and rain are expected in parts of the Corn Belt, followed by chilly temperatures. The weather could further delay autumn harvests, after rains and […] Read more

Tyson bans ractopamine from its U.S. hog supply
Reuters — Tyson Foods in February will stop buying U.S. hogs raised with a growth drug banned by China, the company said on Thursday, as global meat suppliers seek an edge in boosting sales to Chinese buyers facing a huge pork shortage due to an outbreak of a fatal pig disease. The halt in the […] Read more