Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures rose on Thursday on technical buying and short covering following a two-week slide that took prices to 2-1/2 year lows. Soybean futures fell in a profit-taking retreat from multi-month highs posted after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) unexpectedly slashed its U.S. plantings estimate and as recent rains […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn firms on technicals, short-covering
Soybeans retreat; wheat futures consolidate

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle ease on weak cash market
Lean hog futures mostly higher
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures declined on Thursday as a weak tone to the cash market and worries about slowing beef demand weighed on prices, traders said. Livestock traders were monitoring cash market activity at Plains feedlots, where fed cattle were lightly bid at $178/cwt, below the bulk of cash […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat surges on slow harvesting, poor crop conditions
Corn hits 2-1/2-year low and ends mixed, soy mostly firm
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures surged on Wednesday as slow winter wheat harvesting and deteriorating spring crop conditions fuelled buying and short covering that lifted prices from 2-1/2-week lows. The wheat rally pulled corn up from 2-1/2-year lows despite expanded plantings and recent rains that lessened concerns about drought-reduced yields. Soybeans firmed on […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat retreats after Russia worries lift market
Wheat down off four-month peak; corn and soybeans also retreat
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures declined on Monday in a technical and profit-taking retreat after concerns about political stability in major exporter Russia had lifted prices earlier to four-month highs. Corn ended mixed and soybeans closed below session highs as milder temperatures and crop-boosting rains in parts of the U.S. Midwest over the […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle weak on large May placements
Slowing beef demand also a factor
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended flat to lower on Monday on larger-than-expected feedlot placements in May and expectations for slower demand for beef for outdoor grilling following the U.S. Independence Day holiday. Sharply higher feed corn prices early in Monday’s trading session weighed on the live and feeder cattle […] Read more

Bunge deal for Viterra to boost oilseed dominance, renewable diesel potential
Canada's Competition Bureau pledges to review deal
Chicago | Reuters — Bunge’s planned acquisition of Viterra would make the world’s biggest oilseed crusher even more dominant and secure a larger role in the expanding renewable diesel industry, although it may face competition hurdles. Under the deal to create an agricultural giant worth about $34 billion including debt, Bunge’s crushing capacity will increase […] Read more

Bunge, Viterra merger would create global ag trading giant
Companies have some overlap in Canadian crushing
Reuters — A merger of U.S. grains merchant Bunge Ltd. with rival Viterra would grow the combined entity’s businesses in the U.S., Brazil and Australia and may raise competition concerns in parts of Canada and Argentina, where key oilseed processing assets overlap, analysts said. Sources last week said Bunge and Viterra were in talks for […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat futures sink on rains, global supplies
U.S. winter wheat conditions likely improved in past week
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures tumbled to fresh lows on Monday on ample world supplies, sluggish U.S. export demand and beneficial rains in key production areas of the Plains and Midwest. Corn futures slumped on forecasts for favourable Midwest planting weather and lagging U.S. export sales, while soybeans edged higher in a technical […] Read more

U.S. farmers aim to plant more corn, soy in 2023, but delays likely
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. farmers are aiming to expand plantings of corn, wheat and soybeans this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a prospective plantings report on Friday, as the ongoing war in Ukraine keeps global supplies tight. But adverse planting conditions are likely to trim back the expansion in some […] Read more

Cargill plans to halt grain export activities in Russia
Viterra also set to halt grain trading in Russia, sources say
Moscow/Chicago | Reuters — Cargill said Wednesday it would take a further step back from the Russian market by stopping handling Russian grain from its export terminal from July, although its shipping unit will continue to carry grain from Russian ports. Most international grain traders have stopped new investment in Russia since last year following […] Read more