Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) hog futures fell on Wednesday, pressured by uncertainty regarding near-term cash hog prices, said traders and analysts. U.S. Department of Agriculture data Wednesday showed the average hog price in the most-watched Iowa/Minnesota market at $73.71. It was $1.09 lower after being up 83 cents on Tuesday (all figures US$). "There is[...]
U.S. hog futures fall, uncertain cash prices cited
Vale suspends Argentine potash project
Brazilian miner Vale SA said on Monday it is suspending investments in its US$6 billion Rio Colorado potash project in Argentina that has been plagued with cost overruns. The company said in a press statement that the project was not "in line with Vale’s commitment to discipline in capital allocation." Vale had put the project […] Read more
U.S. hogs mark biggest daily gain in three months
Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures on Thursday posted their biggest daily percentage rise in three months as higher cash prices triggered short-covering, said traders and analysts. CME lean hogs rose 3.23 per cent on Thursday, their biggest one-day increase since Dec. 17, 2012. Advances pushed CME April and June hogs through their respective 10-day […] Read more
Barley bids firm, but more downside than upside ahead
Tight supplies combined with prudent farmer selling are keeping feed barley bids well supported in Western Canada for the time being. However, declining wheat prices and improving North American moisture conditions heading into the summer have the potential to weigh on values going forward, according to a feed grains broker. Barley delivered into the key […] Read more
U.S. live cattle slump as funds sell, but off lows
Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures moved lower on Wednesday as funds liquidated long positions, analsyts and traders said. CME April and June live cattle fell below their respective 10-day moving average of 129.22 and 124.58 cents, triggering sell stops (all figures US$). April closed at 128.8 cents per pound, down 0.825 cent, and […] Read more
U.S. agribusiness frets over sequestration
U.S. farmers and agribusiness companies are worried that across-the-board federal budget cuts will snarl the supply channels for everything from milk and broiler chickens to grain shipments, but many are hopeful that the Obama administration and Republican opponents will find a compromise before major disruptions hit the food system. Most immediate concerns center on federal […] Read more
U.S. wheat, new-crop corn hit eight-month lows on improved moisture
U.S. wheat and new-crop corn futures sank to eight-month lows on Monday as melting snow eased concerns about persistent dryness in key growing areas of the Great Plains. Dry weather linked to the worst U.S. drought in more than half a century has stressed hard red winter wheat since the crop was planted last fall […] Read more
New chemistry cleared against potato aphids
A new class of insecticides has yielded its first entry for use against several species of aphids in Canadian potato crops. Dow AgroSciences on Monday announced it has picked up federal registration for Closer, with the active ingredient sulfoxaflor, the first insecticidal molecule to be commercialized from the sulfoximine class of chemicals. Dow Agro said […] Read more
Panel identifies gaps in ag water management
An expert panel convened by the Council of Canadian Academies is urging more research into the potential impact of climate change on water available for agriculture. In a newly released report commissioned by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the panel concludes that water and land resources in Canada can be more sustainably managed by developing forward-thinking […] Read more
Clubroot found in Manitoba soils
Testing has confirmed levels of clubroot capable of producing disease in two soil samples collected from Manitoba canola fields last year, provincial officials say. "It is significant in that we can no longer consider ourselves free of clubroot in Manitoba," said Holly Derksen, a plant pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives' soils and[...]
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