Insights and Stories on USDA

Southern Plains drought slows U.S. cattle herd growth

Jan. 31, 2018 at 7:00 pm CST

Chicago | Reuters — Encroaching drought in the U.S. southern Plains contributed to the smallest rise in the nation’s cattle population in three years, analysts said after the government’s semi-annual cattle inventory report on Wednesday. Insufficient moisture in parts of Texas and Oklahoma, along with areas of persistent dryness in […]

CBOT weekly outlook: Futures get weather boost

Jan. 31, 2018 at 5:15 pm CST

By Ashley Robinson - MarketsFarm

U.S. grains: Profit-taking drags wheat from multimonth peaks

Jan. 31, 2018 at 3:34 pm CST

By Karl Plume

Pork exports key in 2018 as U.S. slaughter ramps up

Jan. 30, 2018 at 7:09 pm CST

By Dave Sims

U.S. livestock: Strong cash trade lifts CME live cattle

Jan. 29, 2018 at 5:27 pm CST

By Julie Ingwersen

Drought lands more cattle into U.S. feedlots than expected

Jan. 26, 2018 at 8:10 pm CST

Chicago | Reuters — Ranchers sent nearly one per cent more cattle to U.S. feedlots in December than the same time a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Friday. The result topped most analysts’ predictions, mainly led by worsening drought in the U.S. southern Plains that shriveled […]

By Theopolis Waters

U.S. grains: Hard red winter wheat jumps as traders watch weather

Jan. 26, 2018 at 5:28 pm CST

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures sagged on Friday, pulling back from a rally above $10 a bushel a day earlier, while hard red winter wheat futures climbed to their highest price in more than three months. Traders in both markets were eyeing unfavourably dry weather in important growing […]

By Tom Polansek

U.S. grains: Soybeans retreat from seven-week high

Jan. 25, 2018 at 4:40 pm CST

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures pulled back on Thursday after concerns about drought in rival exporter Argentina temporarily pushed prices above US$10 a bushel for the first time in seven weeks. The market finished unchanged, breaking a streak of eight sessions with consecutive advances. A ninth session would […]

By Tom Polansek

U.S. livestock: Cattle rise on beef gains, fund buying

Jan. 24, 2018 at 6:34 pm CST

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures climbed to a near two-month high on Wednesday, rising for the third straight session on firm beef prices and investment fund buying, traders and analysts said. A reduced rate of cattle slaughter following a winter storm in the U.S. Plains that disrupted the […]

By Michael Hirtzer

U.S. livestock: Beef quotes send CME live cattle higher

Jan. 23, 2018 at 4:51 pm CST

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Tuesday gained after triggering buy stops, spurred by the morning’s wholesale beef price rebound, traders said. Firmer wholesale beef values stirred bull spreads, in which traders bought February futures and simultaneously sold deferred months. February live cattle finished 1.175 […]

By Theopolis Waters