CBOT March 2023 wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat, corn futures hit two-week lows on demand concerns

Wheat futures curbed by cheaper Black Sea supplies; U.S. Plains wheat ratings dip in Kansas

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat and corn futures set two-week lows on Wednesday as concerns about weakening demand hung over commodity markets. Investor worries about economic headwinds, including the impact of a surge of COVID-19 cases in China, were encouraging selling in commodities, analysts said. Chart-based selling also weighed on the grain markets, they

CBOT March 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average (green line), MGEX March 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. March 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat, corn, soybeans sag as traders reduce risk in new year

Stronger U.S. dollar pressures grain futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) grain and soybean futures closed lower on Tuesday as the dollar rallied and broad-based selling hit a range of markets, analysts said. Oil prices also tumbled, pressured by a gloomy economic outlook, while U.S. stocks struggled. Gains in the dollar made U.S. commodities, including farm products,


CME February 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hog futures near two-week lows in broad selloff

Boxed beef values limit losses in cattle

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group livestock futures hit their lowest prices in about two weeks on Tuesday on profit-taking and widespread selling that dragged down commodity and financial markets, analysts said. Traders booked profit in live cattle after the most-active contract reached a fresh high on Thursday, brokers said. Benchmark CME February live cattle



(Laura Rance photo)

Corteva cuts U.S. jobs while exiting Russia

California plant produces seed for sunflower growers

Chicago | Reuters — Seeds and pesticides company Corteva will eliminate U.S. jobs next year, as its exit from Russia reduces demand for its commercial sunflower seeds produced in California, the company said on Monday. Corteva will cut 51 positions from a Woodland, California facility, run by its Pioneer Hi-Bred International subsidiary, that supplied Europe

CBOT January 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Rains in drought-hit Argentina pressure CBOT futures

Recession fears add pressure to markets, analysts say

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade grain and soybean futures slid on Monday after beneficial rains hit Argentina’s drought-stricken agricultural zone, analysts said. Argentina is the world’s leading exporter of processed soy, but its usually green Pampas plains have been hit by a historic drought that is preventing many farmers from planting their



Avian flu outbreak wipes out 50.54 million U.S. birds

Avian flu outbreak wipes out 50.54 million U.S. birds

Reuters – Avian flu has wiped out 50.54 million birds in the United States this year, making it the country’s deadliest outbreak in history, U.S. Department of Agriculture data showed on Nov. 24. The deaths of chickens, turkeys and other birds represent the worst U.S. animal-health disaster to date, topping the previous record of 50.5


Tyson Foods ends COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees

Tyson Foods ends COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees

Reuters – Tyson Foods has confirmed it eliminated a requirement that employees receive COVID-19 vaccinations, a step the company said improved meatpacking operations after plants closed in 2020 due to outbreaks among workers. The biggest U.S. meat company by sales lifted the mandate on Oct. 31, one year after imposing it, according to a report

(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. avian flu outbreak of 2022 wipes out record number of birds

Vast majority of caseload originated with wild birds: USDA

Chicago | Reuters — Avian flu has wiped out 50.54 million birds in the United States this year, making it the country’s deadliest outbreak in history, U.S. Department of Agriculture data showed Thursday. The deaths of chickens, turkeys and other birds represent the worst U.S. animal-health disaster to date, topping the previous record of 50.5