Insights and Stories on USDA

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle climb to one-month top

Jun. 2, 2017 at 4:39 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts hit a one-month high on Friday, driven by fund buying and short-covering, said traders. Futures’ discounts to this week’s better-than-anticipated cash prices generated more buying. June closed 3.4 cents/lb. higher at 130.825 cents, and August 1.35 cents higher at 126.05 […]

U.S. grains: Minneapolis wheat surges on northern Plains dryness

Jun. 2, 2017 at 4:22 pm CDT

By Julie Ingwersen

CBOT weekly outlook: Soybeans in danger of dropping below US$9

May. 31, 2017 at 5:19 pm CDT

By Dave Sims

U.S. grains: Corn ends higher on lower-than-expected crop ratings

May. 31, 2017 at 4:23 pm CDT

By Julie Ingwersen

U.S. grains: Soybeans near 14-month low as weather worries recede

May. 30, 2017 at 6:05 pm CDT

By Julie Ingwersen

U.S. livestock: Bearish USDA report rattles CME live cattle

May. 26, 2017 at 3:30 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Friday finished sharply lower, hit by fund liquidation and the morning’s bearish U.S. Department of Agriculture Cattle on Feed report, said traders. The report showed the number of cattle placed in feedlots in April hit a 14-year high for […]

By Theopolis Waters

U.S. April feedlot cattle placements jump to 14-year high

May. 26, 2017 at 2:49 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Ranchers placed 11 per cent more cattle in feedlots in April than a year earlier, the most for the month in 14 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Friday, beating average forecasts. Higher cattle prices paid by packers last month enhanced profits for feedlots, […]

By Theopolis Waters

U.S. livestock: Funds, bargain buying rally live cattle

May. 25, 2017 at 7:06 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle on Thursday reversed some of their recent losses, stirred by fund buying and bargain hunting as the U.S. Memorial Day holiday approaches, said traders. They said futures’ discounts to this week’s cash prices attracted would-be buyers. June closed 1.8 cents/lb. higher […]

By Theopolis Waters

U.S. livestock: Hogs gain, cattle ease on spread unwinding

May. 23, 2017 at 6:06 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures rose to a three-month high on Tuesday while live cattle declined as some investors unwound hog-cattle spreads, traders and analysts said. Traders locked in profits on long cattle-short hog spreads, with Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle declining for the first time in […]

By Michael Hirtzer

U.S. farm groups oppose Trump’s cuts to ag spending

May. 23, 2017 at 4:40 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. farm groups on Tuesday pushed back against President Donald Trump’s proposal to slash agriculture spending, viewing it as a fresh threat to a struggling farm economy. The White House on Monday proposed $46.54 billion in cuts to federal government funding for the agriculture sector over […]

By Mark Weinraub Tom Polansek