Insights and Stories on USDA

U.S. grains: Corn, soybean futures ease

Sep. 27, 2019 at 5:20 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn and soybean futures closed lower on Friday, as weather forecasts showed fewer yield risks to Midwest crops ahead of harvesting, as traders jockeyed for positioning ahead of a U.S. grain stocks report slated for Monday, traders said. Meanwhile, CBOT wheat […]

Snow to stall harvests for western Prairies, Montana

Sep. 27, 2019 at 4:25 pm CDT

By Julie Ingwersen

U.S. livestock: Hog futures fall on big U.S. supply

Sep. 26, 2019 at 4:18 pm CDT

By Tom Polansek

U.S. agriculture official calls trade tensions with China ‘new normal’

Sep. 25, 2019 at 5:12 pm CDT

By Maximilian Heath

U.S. grains: Soybeans slip on weather, Chinese buying concerns

Sep. 25, 2019 at 4:17 pm CDT

By P.J. Huffstutter

Klassen: Feeder cattle market remains volatile

Sep. 24, 2019 at 4:06 pm CDT

Western Canadian yearling markets appeared to stabilize after coming under pressure earlier in the month. Compared to last week, yearling prices were unchanged to $4 higher on average while calf markets traded $2-$3 on either side of unchanged. Major feedlots were more aggressive for 800-plus-lb. cattle as feed grain prices […]

By Jerry Klassen

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures rise after Friday’s declines

Sep. 23, 2019 at 5:35 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures rallied on Monday, with both cattle and hog contracts firming on spillover support from strength in the cash market. The markets also were rising on renewed hopes for a trade deal with China after the world’s largest oilseed buyer booked deals to buy […]

By Mark Weinraub

U.S. livestock: Hogs drop as China delegation cancels farm visits

Sep. 20, 2019 at 6:27 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures dropped to their lowest prices in more than a week on Friday as a Chinese agriculture delegation scrapped U.S. farm visits planned to build goodwill during trade talks next week. The canceled trips to Montana and Nebraska raised concerns that the U.S.-China […]

By Tom Polansek

U.S. grains: Soy firm on export sales, trade optimism

Sep. 19, 2019 at 8:18 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures firmed on Thursday as strong weekly export sales data and hopes for progress toward a U.S.-China trade deal more than offset pressure from a crop-boosting Midwest weather forecast. Corn also rose as the market weighed favourable harvest weather against signs of improved demand […]

By Karl Plume

Safety advocates sound alarm over new U.S. hog slaughter rules

Sep. 19, 2019 at 2:03 am CDT

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. food safety and the health of plant workers will be at risk from new federal rules that allow meat companies to slaughter hogs as fast as they want and shift the role of government inspectors, food and environmental advocates said on Tuesday. The warnings about […]

By Tom Polansek