A locust is seen on a plant at Gran Guardia, Formosa, Argentina on June 1, 2020. (Photo: Senasa handout via Reuters)

Argentina says hit by second locust swarm, farmers on alert

Buenos Aires | Reuters — Grains powerhouse Argentina is getting hit by a second swarm of locusts arriving from neighbouring Paraguay, Argentina’s Senasa agricultural health inspection agency said on Tuesday, putting farmers on notice about possible crop damage. The new swarm is concentrated in the province of Formosa in north-east Argentina, on the Paraguay border.

CBOT September 2020 wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat futures top two-month high on global harvest worries

Corn, soybeans firm as U.S. weather looks hotter, drier

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures on Thursday leapt to their highest prices in more than two months as the latest crop estimates in major exporting countries like Argentina, France and Russia raised questions about global supply. Corn and soybean futures also strengthened, as weather forecasts predicted more heat and dryness


CBOT September 2020 wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: CBOT wheat hits one-month high

Global wheat production estimates shrink; U.S. crop report due out Friday

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures jumped on Wednesday on concerns about shrinking crop production estimates in countries from France and Russia to Argentina, traders said. Prices approached a one-month high at the Chicago Board of Trade as adverse weather and lower-than-expected plantings have reduced expectations for harvests in major exporters. The neighbouring corn




Argentine grains port workers request exports be suspended due to pandemic

COVID-19: The country has 502 confirmed cases and eight deaths

A labour union representing Argentine grains port workers has asked the government to suspend exports, a move that would put upward pressure on world soy prices and hobble the country’s main source of revenue as it seeks to avoid default. The URGARA union, which represents inspectors who check the quality of grains before they are


Detail from the front of the CBOT building in Chicago. (Vito Palmisano/iStock/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly outlook: Pandemic drives Chicago prices lower

MarketsFarm — The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to pressure U.S. markets, including the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), according to Scott Capinegro, president of Barrington Commodities at Barrington, Ill. “It’s like that movie Groundhog Day. You wake up and it’s the same thing every day,” Capinegro said. There’s a domino effect in the grain industry

Argentine port town suspending operations amid coronavirus spread

A key port town in northern Rosario, Argentina’s main grains export hub, said March 19 it would suspend port activities as part of efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus, drawing criticism from grain-exporting firms and processors in the farm-rich country. An order posted on the Timbues government website said “all commercial, industrial and


CBOT May 2020 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn hits 18-month low

Soybean, wheat futures firm

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures plummeted 3.3 per cent to an 18-month low on Tuesday as traders said current prices were too high to generate demand from overseas buyers with the ongoing harvests in Brazil and Argentina providing cheaper offerings on the export market. Corn prices fell to their session lows just ahead

CBOT May 2020 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy, corn follow broad market rebound

Investors keep eye on stimulus proposals

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean and corn futures each rose for the first time in four sessions on Tuesday as expectations of policy action to curb economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak helped financial markets regain ground after a day-earlier drubbing. Wheat futures also closed higher in technical moves after a choppy session, although