Insights and Stories on USDA

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures post new highs, end mixed

Aug. 24, 2021 at 6:49 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rallied to contract highs on Tuesday but ended mixed, with nearby contracts pressured by ideas that beef prices are topping out after a surge to nearly 15-month highs, traders said. Deferred live cattle contracts, however, were higher on the day […]

U.S. grains: Soybeans, wheat gain in commodities rebound

Aug. 23, 2021 at 3:29 pm CDT

By Karl Plume

U.S. livestock: CME cattle rebound on improving cash markets, beef prices

Aug. 20, 2021 at 6:39 pm CDT

By Karl Plume

U.S. livestock: CME cattle up on firm cash market, beef prices

Aug. 18, 2021 at 4:32 pm CDT

By Karl Plume

Detail from the front of the CBOT building in Chicago.

CBOT weekly outlook: Focus shifts away from USDA supply, demand estimates

Aug. 18, 2021 at 1:40 pm CDT

By Adam Peleshaty

U.S. grains: Wheat tumbles on profit-taking off eight-year high

Aug. 17, 2021 at 6:26 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures fell more than three per cent on Tuesday in a profit-taking setback after the most-active contract reached an 8-1/2-year high last week, traders said. Corn and soybean futures followed wheat lower, with soybeans retreating from early advances despite fresh export sales of U.S. […]

By Julie Ingwersen Tom Polansek

U.S. grains: Wheat ends mixed, near 8-1/2-year high

Aug. 16, 2021 at 7:27 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures took a breather on Monday after setting 8-1/2-year highs last week on concerns about tightening supplies in exporting countries hit by harsh weather. Russian agriculture consultancy Sovecon trimmed its forecast for Russia’s crop by 0.3 per cent from last week […]

By Tom Polansek

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs climb on strong cash

Aug. 16, 2021 at 7:18 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange rose nearly three per cent on Monday on technical buying and relatively strong cash hog markets, analysts said. CME’s benchmark October hog contract settled up 2.475 cents, or 2.9 per cent, at 89 cents/lb., pushing just above chart […]

By Julie Ingwersen

U.S. confirms will boost food stamps by record amount

Aug. 15, 2021 at 8:12 pm CDT

Washington | Reuters –– The U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) on Monday will announce revised nutrition standards dramatically boosting average food stamp benefits, the agency confirmed Sunday. The New York Times first reported the plan to unveil the largest permanent benefits increase in the history of the government’s primary anti-hunger program, […]

By David Shepardson

U.S. slashes corn, soybean, wheat harvest forecasts

Aug. 12, 2021 at 3:05 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters – The U.S. government slashed its outlook for domestic corn production by 2.7 percent and its soybean harvest view by 1.5 percent on Thursday as dry soils in key western growing areas cut into the potential for a bumper harvest. The dry conditions also hampered U.S. wheat […]

By Mark Weinraub