Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended modestly higher on Thursday as traders squared positions ahead of a monthly feedlot report due on Friday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), traders said.

U.S. livestock: Live cattle end higher ahead of monthly USDA data

USDA to halt July cattle report and some crop data, citing budget levels
Cancelation a 'major blow' to livestock sector, ag economist says
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is canceling its July cattle inventory report as well as county-level estimates for crops and livestock, the government said in a statement on Tuesday, citing budget constraints.

U.S. grains: Wheat jumps on rising Black Sea tensions, soy slips
U.S. wheat futures rose 2.7 per cent on Monday as Russia's weekend attacks on Ukrainian ports underscored risks to exportable grain supplies from the Black Sea region, analysts said.

U.S. livestock: CME lean hog futures touch three-week low
CME live cattle futures also declined in range-bound trade
Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell on Wednesday for a third straight session in largely technical trade, analysts said, with the benchmark April contract LHJ24 dipping to a three-week low.

U.S. grains: Corn, soy hit multi-year lows as South American supply fears wane
Rising stockpiles, falling Chinese demand spurred massive short in corn, soy
U.S. corn and soybean futures fell to three-year lows on Thursday, dragged down by expectations of ample South American harvests and rising stockpiles at a time of uncertain demand, analysts said.

U.S. grains: Corn slides to three-year low near $4 a bushel on ample supplies
Soybeans followed corn lower; wheat ended mostly weaker
Chicago | Reuters -- U.S. corn futures fell to three-year lows on Wednesday, nearing $4 a bushel as ample domestic grain supplies and strong South American crop prospects weighed on sentiment, analysts said.

U.S. grains: Wheat rises nearly four per cent on short-covering, corn and soy climb
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) wheat futures rose nearly four per cent on Tuesday, rebounding from life-of-contract lows as a softer dollar and the approach of the spring growing season in the northern hemisphere sparked a short-covering rally, analysts said. CBOT corn and soybeans also closed higher but hovered near multi-year […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy, corn futures under pressure as jobs data lifts US dollar
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures fell about one per cent on Friday and corn also declined as the dollar .DXY soared after a much stronger-than-expected monthly U.S. jobs report reduced expectations of near-term Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. “When that jobs report came out, the U.S. dollar shot up, and that seemed […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle soar as cash markets firm
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures jumped on Thursday, buoyed by rising cash cattle prices and a government inventory report confirming that the total number of U.S. cattle fell to a 73-year low. CME April live cattle futures LCJ24 settled up 2.475 cents at 183.175 cents per pound, nearing Monday’s 2-1/2-month high of […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybeans slide on disappointing US export data; corn also down
Demand for U.S. soy hampered by strong competition from Brazil, China's economic woes
U.S. soybean futures fell about 1.5 per cent on Thursday on disappointing weekly U.S. export sales data coupled with strong competition from Brazil, where the soy harvest is expanding, traders said.