Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group lean hog futures firmed on Wednesday, supported by strong demand that has pushed cash prices higher. “We’re still looking at tighter supplies in front of us,” said Rich Nelson, chief strategist at Allendale Inc. Pork demand firms during the summer, with U.S. grilling holidays such as Father’s […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hogs firm on summer demand, tight supplies
Lower corn futures support feeder cattle

U.S. grains: Wheat, corn down on Ukrainian export optimism
Soybeans firm on biofuel talk
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat sank on Wednesday for a second straight session to the lowest in nearly two months, as the market gauged diplomatic talks to unblock Ukrainian ports, while U.S. rainfall across the plains added pressure to prices. Corn followed, dropping to a nine-week low, as U.S. farmers caught up on planting […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat drops as Russia considers Ukrainian grain exports
Corn, soybeans also down
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures fell on Tuesday, after Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed readiness to allow blocked Ukrainian grain vessels from Black Sea ports. Corn was pressured by falling wheat, while profit-taking pulled soybeans off life-of-contract highs to finish lower. The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) fell […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hog, cattle futures fall despite strong demand
Markets see 'a risk-off day'
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group lean hog futures fell on Tuesday, amid outside pressure from agricultural markets, despite strength from strong slaughter and cash hog prices. “We just had a risk-off day,” said Matthew Wiegand, Risk Management Consultant at FuturesOne. “Cash trade kicked up and is trading above the board.” The CME’s […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat extends fall, soybeans firm
Corn books third week down
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat fell for a third straight session on Friday, retreating further from a two-month high hit earlier this week as technical selling pressured the market, traders said. Corn also eased, as accelerated U.S. planting and news that Argentina may expand an export volume cap weighed. Soybeans gained on strong export […] Read more

U.S. livestock: August live cattle, feeders ease on USDA report
Chicago lean hog futures firm
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures were mixed on Friday, with the nearby contract firming while the most-active month eased, pressured by expectations of increased cattle placements in the U.S. Agriculture Department’s monthly assessment. U.S. feedlots held two per cent more cattle on May 1 versus the same time a year […] Read more

Dust storm, hurricane-force winds tear across U.S. upper Midwest
Chicago | Reuters — Hurricane-force winds tore across the U.S. upper Midwest Thursday evening, sending walls of dust across cities and rural towns, causing widespread property damage and killing at least two people. Straight-line winds up to 170 km/h reached from Kansas to Wisconsin, pushing waves of farmland topsoil across the horizon and plunging communities […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs firm nearby
Outside markets pressure live cattle
Chicago | Reuters — CME’s nearby lean hog futures firmed on Tuesday, incentivizing producers to sell market-ready hogs rather than hold them for premiums later in the summer, analysts said. High futures prices “may have encouraged producers to take a little more risk,” said Altin Kalo, economist at Steiner Consulting Group. “When you’ve got such […] Read more

U.S. grains: Chicago grains firm after planting-inspired decline
USDA world report eyed for gauge of Ukraine war, harvest prospects
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures edged up on Tuesday, a day after sliding on macroeconomic worries, as traders assessed U.S. planting progress. Wheat traded near even, pressured by recent rainfall across the U.S. Great Plains, though global supply concerns underpinned the market, while corn traded near even, supported as the pace of planting […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle firm on strong packer demand
Export demand concerns drag on hogs
Chicago | Reuters — CME live cattle futures firmed on Monday, supported by strong packer demand that supported cash prices, indicating a bullish outlook for summer month futures, analysts said. “Packer behaviour has been bullish for several weeks now. They are going after the cattle,” said Dennis Smith, commodity broker at Archer Financial. “I suspect […] Read more