CBOT December 2018 corn, with 20-day moving average in orange. (Barchart.com)

U.S. grains: Corn slips to contract lows

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell about one per cent on Monday, with nearby months hitting contract lows as the harvest of a bumper crop picked up speed in the Midwest and early yield reports were strong, traders said. Soybean futures also declined on harvest progress, along with disappointing U.S. soy crush data



(Deyana Robova photo/iStock/Getty Images)

Canadian hog prices on rebound

CNS Canada — Improving trade relations and the emergence of swine fever in China have made their presence felt on the Canadian hog market. Weekly signature No. 5 base slaughter weight cash hog prices averaged $117.83 per 100 kg as of Friday, up by roughly $15 over the past two weeks. Those numbers are a




(Dave Bedard photo)

ADM ramps up ethanol sales in Chicago, irking rivals

New York/Chicago | Reuters — Archer Daniels Midland has sold unusually high volumes of ethanol into the Chicago market since late last year as export markets dried up, driving down prices in the U.S. Midwest and angering the company’s rivals, according to traders and regulatory data. The Illinois-based global commodities powerhouse, a major ethanol producer,





A double rainbow over a Manitoba soybean field. (ImagineGolf/iStock/Getty Images)

Smaller Manitoba soybean crop expected

CNS Canada — Like most crops grown this year, Manitoba’s soybean yields were also highly variable in 2018. While early reports point to smaller production overall, lower-than-average yields won’t translate to higher prices, given prospects for a large U.S. crop. Manitoba soybean yields are “anywhere from 20 to 50” bushels per acre, said Mark Jorgenson

A Saskatchewan potash mine under storm clouds. (BobLoblaw/iStock/Getty Images)

Global fertilizer market prices vary

CNS Canada — A mixed bag for fertilizer prices is expected over the next few months, as some continue to increase while others should drop, according to an analyst. “The fertilizer market has remained pretty firm over the past six months… we had kind of anticipated some declines across all the different nutrients, (but) they’ve