Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. soybean futures fell on Wednesday on concerns about decreased export demand from China as well as rising expectations for a bumper crop in Brazil, traders said. Wheat futures were mixed. Soft red winter wheat offerings eased after a rally on Tuesday while hard red winter wheat contracts rose due to […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans drop on bleak export view
Germany plans to toughen conditions for insecticide use
Berlin | Reuters — Germany plans to make it more difficult for farmers to use crop insecticides in a bid to preserve biodiversity, an environment ministry document showed. “Insect biomass has fallen by more than 75 per cent in the last 27 years in Germany,” according to the paper seen by Reuters on Wednesday, saying […] Read more
U.S. ethanol makers snap up cheap sorghum after China tariffs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. ethanol makers have joined global livestock producers to snap up discounted American sorghum supplies after buyers in China backed out of deals due to stiff anti-dumping tariffs on the grain imposed by Beijing in a mounting trade dispute. Sorghum is used to feed animals and represents a fraction of the […] Read more
Voting scheduled for CP employees on verge of strike
Engineers, conductors and signal maintainers who’d been poised to walk off the job at Canadian Pacific Railway almost two weeks ago will instead continue business as usual until at least May 26. The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) this week informed CP and two of its employees’ unions — the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) […] Read more
U.S. trade chief says NAFTA approval on ‘thin ice’ without deal soon
Washington/Mexico City | Reuters –– U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Tuesday that if a deal to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement cannot be reached with Canada and Mexico in about three weeks, its approval by the U.S. Congress could be in jeopardy. Lighthizer said at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event […] Read more
POET unseats ADM as top global fuel ethanol maker
Chicago | Reuters — Privately held, U.S.-based POET has overtaken industry pioneer and global grain merchant Archer Daniels Midland to become the top ethanol producer in the world, the companies told Reuters. ADM had been the biggest ethanol maker since the U.S. began requiring refiners to mix billions of gallons of biofuels into the nation’s […] Read more
May showers likely to leave growers unsatisfied
CNS Canada — Canada’s Prairies can expect to see regular rainfall in most regions during May, but it likely won’t be enough to offset dry conditions recorded over the past several months. According to Drew Lerner of World Weather Inc. in Kansas City, the first half of May should see average rainfall amounts in most […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, wheat climb on weather worries
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures climbed to a nine-month peak Monday on worries about U.S. Midwest planting delays as more rain is expected across the region this week and dry weather stoked concerns over South American corn production. U.S. wheat futures also rallied as dry conditions stressed winter wheat in the southern Plains […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soymeal leads soybean futures higher
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures jumped 1.7 per cent on Friday, their fourth straight day of gains, on expectations that the U.S. will boost its share of the soymeal export market due to harvest shortfalls in Argentina, traders said. Corn futures firmed, hitting a nine-month high for the third day […] Read more
Grain trade skeptical of StatsCan’s acreage outlook
CNS Canada — After predictions of record canola area and a drop in pulse acres, traders and analysts are doubtful of Statistics Canada’s predictions for smaller canola acres, much larger wheat acres and only minor reductions in pulse acres. “It’s unusual for everybody to just be this out of whack on this report,” said Ken […] Read more
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