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

U.S. grains: Soybeans end higher

Traders weigh Argentine dryness, U.S. exports; winter wheat underpinned by fears of winterkill damage; corn up on export news

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures ended slightly higher on Tuesday after jumping to six-month highs earlier in the day, supported by continued dryness in major soymeal exporter Argentina. Corn lifted after U.S. exporters reported a daily sale of 177,500 tonnes of corn for delivery to Japan, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. Wheat

(Xinzheng/Getty Images)

China must raise self-reliance in ag tech, Xi says

Seed industry seen as weak link in food chain

Beijing | Reuters — President Xi Jinping wants China to accelerate efforts to achieve self-reliance in agricultural technology, identifying seed development and core equipment among areas to focus on, state media reported. The central leadership had said in 2020 that the country’s seed industry was a weak link in the food chain and needed to



The CNH Industrial building in Turin, Italy in 2020.

CNH Industrial pulls pin on China

CEO sees lack of growth in China’s construction market, but opportunity in agriculture

Reuters – Farming and construction manufacturer CNH Industrial’s decision to permanently halt construction sales in China was due to declining market share and competition from local companies, the CEO said on Dec. 8. Mounting debt from Chinese property developers has been the catalyst for falling housing prices in the region and an overall real estate


CME December 2022 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: December live cattle down off 7-1/2-year high

Hogs down on export market concerns

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group live cattle futures dropped on a round of profit taking after the front-month contract rose to its highest since June 2015 early in the session. Concerns about a winter storm damaging herds in the U.S. Plains provided support to cattle futures overnight. While supply concerns dominated cattle futures trading,

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

U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise on short-covering

CME cattle futures also up

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group hog futures rose on Tuesday, snapping a streak of five straight losing sessions on some mild short-covering, traders said. Gains were kept in check by concerns that demand for pork during China’s Lunar New Year celebrations will be lighter than usual due to rising COVID-19 cases in the country.


CME February 2023 lean hogs with 20-day moving average (pink line) and CME cash lean hog index (blue line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME February hogs hit two-month low

China COVID-19 concerns a factor; live cattle close higher

Chicago | Reuters — CME live hog futures fell to a two-month low on Monday, notching their fifth straight day of declines on concerns that Chinese pork consumption will fall during the country’s upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations, traders said. Cattle futures were firm, with strength in the cash market underpinning prices. Weakness in Chinese

Farmers build a greenhouse for winter warm vegetables in Binzhou, East China’s Shandong province, on Nov. 29.

China, top global user, eyes pesticide cuts

The country seeks a 10 per cent cut in use on fruit, vegetables by 2025

China, the world’s top user of pesticides, aims to reduce their use in cultivation of fruit, vegetables and tea by a tenth within three years’ time, the farm ministry said Dec. 1, in an effort to curb chemicals in the food chain. High levels of chemical pesticides and fertilizers are used to produce crops on


CME February 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle ease on seasonal retail softness

February hogs lower despite export optimism

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange dipped on Wednesday, as easing post-holiday retail demand, combined with strong cash cattle prices, eats into processor profitability. “This week specifically is when we transition to buying for a lower-demand period, post-holidays,” said Rich Nelson, chief strategist at Allendale Inc. “Packer margins are

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 steadies after one-year low

Soybeans firm on China demand, Argentina drought

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat climbed on technical buying on Wednesday after sliding to 13-month lows earlier in the week, as global supplies weigh on U.S. markets. Soybean futures gained, underpinned by export demand optimism and dry conditions in top exporter Argentina. Corn inched higher, supported by wheat and soy despite from weaker crude