The Chicago Board of Trade building on May 28, 2018. (Harmantasdc/iStock Editorial/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly update: Dry conditions, war propel prices upward

Rally may push well into the week of July 24 and perhaps further: broker

MarketsFarm – Prices on the Chicago Board of Trade continued to rally on July 19, and to Scott Capinegro of Barrington Commodity Brokers of Barrington, Ill., they appeared set to push higher.  Capinegro pointed to the hot and dry weather across much of the United States as the main reason for the gains being made […] Read more

Rail cars in Vancouver. (Photo courtesy/copyright Canadian National Railway)

B.C. port strike under cease-and-desist order, for now

Union serves, then withdraws, fresh 72 hours' notice to resume picketing

Updated, July 19 — Canada’s Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has ordered British Columbia’s longshoremen back to work until their union serves three days’ notice before restarting strike action. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada) — which represents about 7,400 workers at various Vancouver and Prince Rupert port terminals and facilities — said Tuesday […] Read more


A Shanghai container terminal. (Chuyu/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Exports solid through 10 months

West Coast ports move to clear strike backlog

MarketsFarm — Canadian pulse exports continued at a solid pace through most of the 2022-23 marketing year, although recent disruptions on the West Coast may cut into the final total. Roughly a quarter of all Canadian pea exports, a third of the lentils, and all the chickpeas typically move by container, with a strike by […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

US Livestock: live cattle rise on limited US supply, strong cash prices

Analysts suggest high prices, tight supply may drive meatpackers to cut hours

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures extended gains on Tuesday on worries over limited U.S. supplies. Recent strength in cash prices for cattle helped to support futures, analysts said, after ranchers shrank their herds due to drought and high feed costs. Analysts said there is chatter in the market that high […] Read more


The Chicago Board of Trade building on May 28, 2018. (Harmantasdc/iStock Editorial/Getty Images)

US Grains: wheat futures end firmer amid Black Sea supply worries

Ukrainian officials said Russian air strikes damaged the port of Odesa

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures finished stronger on Tuesday after Ukrainian officials said Russian air strikes damaged infrastructure at the port of Odesa, a day after Moscow quit the Black Sea grain export deal. The strikes diminished some expectations that Russia may still renew the export deal, analysts said. Markets […] Read more

CBOT September 2023 soft red winter wheat with Bollinger bands (20,2), MGEX September 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. September 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat, corn fall as Black Sea grain deal expires

Grain traders hope pact may still be renewed

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain futures fell on Monday as Russia’s exit from the Black Sea export deal failed to shock traders. Wheat and corn futures slumped after earlier rising to two-week highs when Russia announced it was leaving the agreement that lets Ukraine export grain through the Black Sea. Russia had long threatened […] Read more


CME August 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME August live cattle touch new high

Hogs lower as China books higher pork output

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures set a new high in the front-month contract on Monday on technical buying and concerns over tightening U.S. supplies, analysts said. August live cattle reached its life-of-contract high of 181.6 cents/lb. before retreating to settle 0.05 cent lower at 180.125 cents/lb. (all figures US$). October […] Read more

CBOT September 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, MGEX September 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. September 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat, corn rise as Ukraine shipping deal set to end

Soybeans mixed on profit-taking, supply questions

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures rose on Friday as drought conditions in Canada and the northern Plains continue to weigh on the market, as does uncertainty over the future of Ukraine’s wartime grain export shipping deal that is set to expire on Monday. Corn followed wheat up on yield concerns and technical trading. […] Read more


CME August 2023 live cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages and October 2023 live cattle (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle turn higher

Chicago lean hog futures mixed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures turned higher on Friday amid a flurry of technical trading, even as beef prices continued to see a seasonal downturn, traders said. Cash cattle market trades this week continued to be down $2-$3 per hundredweight (cwt), traders said (all figures US$). The U.S. Department of […] Read more

CME August 2023 lean hogs with 20- and 50-day moving averages and CME cash lean hog index (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures gain as pork prices rise

Cattle futures end mixed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures ended higher on Thursday, buoyed by rising wholesale pork prices and firm cash hog values, traders said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) quoted the wholesale pork carcass cutout at $110.90 per hundredweight (cwt), up 24 cents from Wednesday, and pork bellies rose $17.08, to […] Read more