Mycotoxins, such as vomitoxin, are produced primarily by Gibberella ear moulds (seen here) and can be disruptive when fed to livestock, especially hogs.  Photo: OMAFRA

U.S. corn farmers wary of vomitoxin, latest stress on global grain supplies

Chicago | Reuters – A fungus that causes “vomitoxin” has been found in some U.S. corn harvested this fall, causing headaches for growers and livestock producers and forcing ethanol plants and grain elevators to scrutinize grain deliveries. The situation is another hit to global grain supplies that have sunk to the lowest in a decade since Russia

CBOT December 2022 soft red winter wheat (candlesticks) with 20-, and 50-day moving averages (green and black lines), MGEX December 2022 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. December 2022 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat, corn slip ahead of key crop forecasts

Corn, soy consolidate as U.S. crop data watched

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures fell back on Tuesday, after jumping to a three-month high a day earlier, as signs of escalation in the war between Russia and Ukraine continued to raise concerns about the viability of Black Sea grain trade in the coming months. Corn futures slipped, and soybeans firmed, as investors


CME December 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle firm as packer margins turn negative

Lean hog futures settle lower

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

File photo of a BNSF grain train in Montana. (Photo courtesy BNSF Railway)

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


CME October 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

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

CBOT November 2022 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, green and black lines). (Barchart)

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


CBOT November 2022 soybeans (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

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

CME August 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, red and black lines). (Barchart)

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