Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures firmed on Tuesday as supplies tighten, with beef packer margins falling into the negative for the first time in years, traders said. Beef packers lost $14.35 per head on Tuesday, compared to earnings of $1.60 a day earlier and $18.40 the week before, according to […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle firm as packer margins turn negative
Lean hog futures settle lower
U.S. railways to halt grain shipments ahead of potential shutdown
Fall fertilizer traffic also at risk
Chicago | Reuters — Some U.S. railroads will start halting crop shipments on Thursday, a day ahead of a potential work stoppage, an agricultural association and sources at two grain co-operatives said on Tuesday, threatening exports and feed deliveries for livestock. With farmers starting to harvest autumn crops that are shipped to meat and biofuels […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs slip
USDA marks surprise jump in July cattle placements
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures slipped on Friday, with the most-active contract dipping to a nearly six-week low during the session, as weak export demand continued to weigh on futures, analysts said. Meanwhile, a government report, released after the CME closed, said that far more cattle were marketed in July […] Read more
U.S. grains: Chicago soy futures bounce back after USDA forecasts
Corn crop forecast to be smaller than expected due to weather
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures turned higher on Friday, as traders questioned a surprisingly large record-crop forecast and focused instead on August weather as recent hot and dry days threaten key U.S. growing areas. Soybean futures slid sharply after the U.S. Agriculture Department on Friday forecast U.S. soy farmers would glean a record […] Read more
U.S. grains: Chicago grains firm on yield uncertainty ahead of USDA report
Grains also underpinned by U.S. dollar fall after inflation data
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat and soybean futures closed higher on Thursday as a weaker U.S. dollar lent support to dollar-priced commodities and traders squared up their positions ahead of a key government report. Meanwhile, corn futures firmed, supported by concerns about hot and dry weather stressing the U.S. Midwest crop through its final […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle, hogs firm on meaty consumer demand
Production 'probably hit our seasonal peak'
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rose on Thursday, with several back months hitting new life-of-contract highs on thin trading, as domestic demand for beef this summer continues to be stronger than expected, traders said. Meanwhile, lean hog futures rose — with the October and December contracts hitting new life-of-contract high […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures ease ahead of U.S. holiday weekend
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Wednesday, as packers prep for a short processing week after the Fourth of July holiday in the United States, traders said. Packers’ purchases are expected to slow by the end of the week, to avoid having pens full of animals waiting over the […] Read more
U.S. grains: Spot corn, soy futures extend gains ahead of USDA report
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago spot corn and soybean futures extended gains on Wednesday, as traders adjusted their positions ahead of a government crop report, traders said. But the most-active and deferred corn contracts eased downward, as latest forecasts see an increased chance of rain in U.S. growing areas as crop nears pollination phase. Traders […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle mixed on seasonal slump, domestic demand worries
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange spot live cattle futures rose on Tuesday, as the northern cash market continued to trade at a record premium over the south amid drought-hit grazing grounds, traders said. But CME’s benchmark August live cattle futures LCQ2 and deferred contracts slipped on worries about the health of the U.S. economy, and […] Read more
U.S. grains: Chicago grains rally on crop ratings, China quarantine rules relaxing
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago corn futures bounced higher on Tuesday, after a U.S. government crop conditions report showed good-to-excellent ratings for corn fell more than expected, raising concerns about the Midwest crop as it heads toward a key pollination phase of development. Wheat futures rallied on short-covering and bargain buying after three straight sessions […] Read more
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