Europe’s farmers bring in drought-scarred maize crop

The European Union’s maize harvest is in full swing and field work is confirming widespread drought damage that analysts expect to push the feed grain crop to a 15-year low. A historic drought and successive heatwaves in Europe affected maize, or corn, during crucial summer growth stages. Showers in the past month appeared too late.[...]

France’s farmers digging up rapeseed fields after damage

Rapeseed crops in France have suffered from cold snaps and pest attacks to the extent that a significant number of fields will be reseeded with other crops, although it is too early to quantify, French farm office FranceAgriMer said March 10. This comes as worldwide supplies of the oilseed crop are already scarce, helping to[...]






‘Amber waves of grain’ recede in America’s heartland as wheat farmers struggle

The Great Plains have long been celebrated for the “amber waves of grain” in the popular hymn “America the Beautiful.” The region’s states produce most of the U.S.-grown crop of hard red winter wheat, favored by bakers for bread. But with prices hovering around $5 (C$6.86) per bushel, U.S. wheat farmers have reached an inflection point, with many forced to either lose money, feed wheat to cattle or kill off the crop.





U.S. grains: Soybeans buoyed by higher crude oil; wheat sags

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose on Tuesday, rallying from a seven-week low struck a day earlier, as strong crude oil prices lifted soyoil futures and traders weighed expectations that the leaders of United States and top global soy buyer China will speak this week. Corn futures bounced after dipping to multi-month lows[...]