Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. wheat futures sank to a six-year low on Thursday and corn futures hit an 11-week low after the agriculture department said farmers had planted more of the grains than expected. Soybean futures soared to two-week highs as plantings fell short of analysts’ estimates. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in […] Read more
U.S. grains: USDA report pushes wheat to six-year low, corn to 11-week low
Online U.S. cattle auction halts activity
Chicago | Reuters –– Organizers of an online U.S. cattle auction that ranchers and traders had hoped would help restore transparency to livestock pricing nationwide said on Wednesday they would suspend activity indefinitely after just four sessions. The Fed Cattle Exchange, which held its first live feeder cattle auction on May 25, determined that it […] Read more
Bayer crop unit apologizes to farmers after Twitter gaffe
Chicago | Reuters –– Bayer AG’s crop science division apologized on Monday for a tweet that suggested reduced meat demand could benefit the environment, in a bid to appease outraged farmers who buy the company’s seeds and chemicals. The tweet, published on the official Bayer CropScience (@Bayer4crops) account on Sunday, linked to a Vox.com article […] Read more
‘Unorthodox’ agriculture policies seen costing Egypt
Chicago | Reuters –– Egypt, the world’s top wheat importer, faces US$860 million in extra costs and lost export opportunities this year because of “unorthodox agricultural measures,” including a zero-tolerance policy on ergot fungus in wheat, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday in a report. The report, from a USDA attache in Cairo, criticized […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans notch longest bull run in 43 years
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose for the ninth straight week, the longest bull run in 43 years, on expectations that crop problems in Brazil and Argentina will steer more export business to the U.S. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed increased demand in a monthly crop report that raised the government’s […] Read more
Canada’s hog farmers suspect U.S. truck washes in PED fight
Reuters — Canadian farm groups are blasting U.S. truck washes for being too dirty to prevent the spread of a virus that has killed millions of piglets in recent years, exposing a dispute over the effectiveness of such facilities in North American agriculture. The brewing battle over trucks comes as Manitoba, which slaughters more swine […] Read more
HC2 broadens offer for U.S. grain handler Andersons
Chicago | Reuters — HC2 Holdings Inc. broadened its offer to buy pieces of The Andersons Inc. on Thursday, days after the loss-making U.S. grain handler said an earlier proposal to break up its business units was dead on arrival. HC2, a holding company run by former hedge fund manager Philip Falcone, said it would […] Read more
U.S. EPA draft report calls out atrazine for risk to animals
Chicago | Reuters — One of the most popular herbicides in U.S. agriculture can be dangerous to animals and fish and leaves behind worrisome residue levels, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday in a draft report that sparked outrage among farmers. The agency’s assessment of atrazine could lead to tighter regulatory limits on […] Read more
U.S. watchdog to review cattle pricing, high-speed trading
Chicago | Reuters — A U.S. watchdog agency will launch a review of cattle pricing, including the impact of high-frequency trading on futures, after ranchers complained about a sharp price drop last year. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has accepted a request from the Senate judiciary committee to study the reasons for the decline, […] Read more
U.S. grains: Rallying greenback sparks broad-based selloff
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain and soybean futures dropped to their lowest levels in about a week on Thursday as gains in the dollar prompted investors to take profits out of commodities after recent rallies. Broad-based selling hit the sector as the dollar firmed on expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise U.S. interest […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
