Insights and Stories on USDA

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures firm on wholesale strength

Aug. 19, 2020 at 5:58 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures gained on Wednesday as boxed beef prices offered support ahead of the upcoming holiday weekend, traders said. “It’s the main week for retailers to lock up their Labour Day supplies. That’s kept a floor under the cash market,” said Alan […]

U.S. grains: Corn retreats from month high on clearer crop outlook

Aug. 18, 2020 at 6:40 pm CDT

By Christopher Walljasper

U.S. grains: Soybeans near seven-month high as dryness threatens crop

Aug. 17, 2020 at 6:31 pm CDT

By Christopher Walljasper

U.S. livestock: Live cattle step back after eight-session climb

Aug. 17, 2020 at 6:17 pm CDT

By Christopher Walljasper

U.S. livestock: Live cattle rise on higher beef prices, grilling demand

Aug. 14, 2020 at 4:53 pm CDT

By P.J. Huffstutter

Monday’s storm hit an estimated 37.7 million acres in U.S. Midwest

Aug. 14, 2020 at 3:57 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — A storm packing hurricane-force winds on Monday impacted 37.7 million acres of farmland across the Midwest, including 14 million in Iowa, the Iowa Soybean Association said on Friday, citing estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The toll from the derecho storm has worsened as farmers […]

By Tom Polansek

U.S. grains: Corn eases on profit-taking

Aug. 14, 2020 at 3:51 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn inched slightly lower on Friday, as traders questioned federal acreage data and assessed the extent of storm damage in the U.S. Midwest. Prices slipped early in the day, after a rally in the previous session pushed corn futures to a four-week high. Soybeans also […]

By P.J. Huffstutter

U.S. grains: Exports, storm damage offset big crop outlook

Aug. 13, 2020 at 4:29 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn prices surged to a four-week high on Thursday as forecasts of warmer weather and worries over recent storm damage in the U.S. Midwest countered pressure from huge government harvest forecasts. The corn rally also boosted wheat, as traders continue to debate how much impact […]

By P.J. Huffstutter

U.S. livestock: Live cattle set five-month high, beef prices rise more

Aug. 12, 2020 at 6:10 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures leapt to a five-month high on Wednesday and feeder cattle futures neared a six-month peak as boxed beef prices continued to rise. Meatpackers are paying more for cattle due to the strength of the beef market, traders said. Prices typically […]

By Tom Polansek

U.S. grains: Soybeans, corn up after USDA confirms massive U.S. crops

Aug. 12, 2020 at 5:37 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn and soybean futures rose on Wednesday as short-covering and position-squaring emerged after the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed expectations for massive crops, traders said. USDA, in a monthly report, said U.S. farmers will reap their biggest corn harvest and second-biggest soybean […]

By Tom Polansek