Insights and Stories on USDA

U.S. grains: soybeans end higher amid extreme heat, crop tour findings

Aug. 23, 2023 at 3:14 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago soybean and corn futures firmed on Wednesday, supported by hot, dry conditions that compound signs of stress found in initial results of a widely followed U.S. Midwest field tour. Wheat also ticked higher as traders assessed the latest Russian attack on a Ukrainian grain port […]

CBOT weekly outlook: damage from extreme heat immediately unknown

Aug. 23, 2023 at 1:51 pm CDT

By Glen Hallick - MarketsFarm

U.S. grains: Soy, corn fall on crop tour’s promising early reports

Aug. 22, 2023 at 3:24 pm CDT

By Christopher Walljasper

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle climb on fewer feedlot placements

Aug. 21, 2023 at 5:55 pm CDT

By Christopher Walljasper

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle recover from six-week low

Aug. 18, 2023 at 10:26 pm CDT

By Tom Polansek

U.S. livestock: October live cattle futures lowest since July

Aug. 17, 2023 at 6:55 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended lower on Thursday, with the most-active contract hitting its lowest price since July, as the market continued to retreat from recent highs. Futures and cash prices have jumped this year after drought reduced the amount of pastures available for […]

By Tom Polansek

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle set two-week low

Aug. 16, 2023 at 5:16 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures stumbled to their lowest level in more than two weeks on Wednesday, while lean hogs hit their lowest price since June. Drought prompted U.S. cattle producers to reduce their herds since last year by driving up feed costs and reducing […]

By Tom Polansek

U.S. grains: Corn futures touch 2020 low on improved crop ratings

Aug. 15, 2023 at 4:03 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn futures tumbled on Tuesday to their lowest level since 2020 after a weekly report from the U.S. government showed better-than-expected crop conditions. Soybean futures also slid on improved U.S. crop ratings, while wheat reached its lowest level in more than two […]

By Tom Polansek

Klassen: Feeder market consolidates

Aug. 15, 2023 at 4:32 am CDT

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $2-$3/cwt on either side of unchanged. The steam appears to be coming off the market as larger volumes become available. Pastures have basically dried up in many areas of Western Canada, which has spurred on producer selling. The calf market was […]

By Jerry Klassen

Little change seen in USDA’s WASDE report

Aug. 11, 2023 at 7:58 pm CDT

MarketsFarm — August figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) world agricultural supply/demand estimates (WASDE) provided very few surprises and not much change after their release Friday. However, crop production and carryout estimates were tightened from those in July. USDA’s 2023-24 corn production estimate declined by 209 million bushels […]

By Adam Peleshaty