Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle contracts slid on Wednesday as profit-taking, a stronger dollar and a selloff across agricultural commodities weighed on futures, analysts said.

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures tip down on profit-taking

U.S. grains: Soybeans plummet to four-year low on Brazil crop outlook
Chicago soybean futures fell to a four-year low on Wednesday, pressured by bumper crop prospects in Brazil and a slide in soyoil prices after a proposed U.S. government spending bill failed to include support for biodiesel, traders said.

U.S. confirms first severe human case of bird flu
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday that a patient has been hospitalized with a severe case of H5N1 infection in Louisiana, marking the first known instance of a severe human illness linked to the bird flu virus in the United States.

General Mills cuts profit outlook as promotions rise to win back consumers
General Mills slashed its annual profit forecast on Wednesday as the Cheerios cereal maker ramped up investments in promotions to attract cost-conscious consumers, sending shares down about three per cent in early trading.

China to promote modernization of farms in pledge to stabilize grain output
China will accelerate the pace of agricultural and rural modernization and stabilize grain planting area in its quest to ensure stable and high production of grains, state media reported on Wednesday, citing an annual rural policy meeting.

US funding bill includes plan to allow year-round sales of higher ethanol blend fuel
A U.S. government funding bill released on Tuesday included a plan that would allow year-round sales of gasoline with a higher ethanol blend, a major win for the corn and ethanol lobbies.
U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle up on expectations of tight supply
Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) feeder cattle futures rose on Tuesday as market players anticipated a constricted supply of cattle and awaited a monthly cattle supply report later in the week, traders said.

U.S. grains: Soybeans hit contract lows on strong South American harvest
Chicago soybean futures sank to life-of-contract lows on Tuesday as favorable crop conditions in Brazil and weak Chinese demand for U.S. soybeans hung over the market, traders said.

EU crops in fair shape but Black Sea rim lacks winter strength, monitor says
Cereal fields in Europe are generally in good condition after a dry, mild spell helped them recover from a soggy start to autumn, though grain belts around the Black Sea are lacking hardiness for winter, the EU's crop monitoring service said on Monday.

Canada’s inflation rate ticks down to 1.9 per cent in November
Canada's annual inflation rate unexpectedly dropped by a tick to 1.9 per cent in November, driven by a broad-based slowdown in prices, while the consumer price index was unchanged on a monthly basis, data showed on Tuesday.