Corn Price Swings to Continue?
US - Since early October, corn prices have bounced in a wide trading range. March 2012 futures have traded between about $5.75 and $6.75 while December 2012 futures have been between about $5.35 and $6.20,...

Swine Herd Expansion Modest, Despite Profitability
US - Hog producers have remained cautious about expanding their breeding herds despite the industry's return to profitability – a wise decision considering there is still much economic uncertainty for...

US Hog Prices Record High in 2011
US - US hog prices were record high in 2011 and a big portion of the credit goes to international trade, writes Ron Plain.

Broadening Feedstocks Eligible for RFS
US - US Representative Pete Olson (Texas) is introducing bipartisan legislation to increase competition, stabilise food prices and enhance American energy security and global competitiveness.

Ingredients that Lower Feed Cost for Weanling Pigs
US - An extension swine specialist with Kansas State University says producers of weanling pigs can reduce feeding costs without sacrificing productivity by substituting less costly ingredients into their...

CME: Pork Production Forecast Higher in 2012
US - The latest WASDE forecasts for US beef, pork and poultry supplies in 2012 were little changed from December. There continues to be broad expectation that US meat protein supplies will be tighter...

CME: Pork & Beef Value in November Hit Records
US - The excellent year for US pork and beef exports continued in November with pork tonnage and value setting new records and beef tonnage and value hitting their highest level for November on record,...

Corn Stocks Report Throws Another Curve Ball
US - In this week's "Market Preview" featured in National Hog Farmer magazine, Steve Meyer discusses the latest WASDE and "Grain Stocks" report released by the US Department of Agriculture (U...

Understanding the Surprise in Corn Stocks Estimate
US - The corn market was surprised by the USDA’s final 2011 corn production estimate and the estimate of 1 December 2011 corn stocks. The March 2012 futures price declined by $0.52 per bushel in the...

Pork Commentary: Corn, Soybean, Weath Prices Drop
US - Corn, soybean, wheat prices all dropped last Thursday, Friday after the USDA released several grain inventory, production and usage reports, corn declined 60 cents a bushel, soybeans 46 cents a bushel,...

Record 2011 Farm Profits Could Spill into 2012
US - Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, US agriculture last year stood as a shining example of growth.

November US Pork Exports Record-Large
US - US pork exports set another monthly volume record in November, according to statistics released by USDA and compiled by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF), which helped offset record-high production...

WASDE Raises 2011-12 Pork Production Estimate
US - USDA's January World Ag Supply and Demand Estimates report (WASDE) was noted for its larger-than-expected estimate of 2011 corn production and 2012 ending stocks. March, May and July corn futures...

CME: Markets React Badly to Recent Report Data
US - The corn balance sheet appears little changed from the previous month and yet markets reacted negatively to a number of key data in both the WASDE report as well as the grain stocks survey and the...

Pork Production Increases 30 Per Cent
US - Pork producers had a good year in 2011, Dr James Mintert, professor of Ag Economics and assistant director of Extension at Purdue University, spoke earlier this week at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s...

Cargill Earnings Fall Sharply
US - International producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services, Cargill, has reported an 88 per cent fall in earnings in the second quarter of the 2012 financial...

Pork Producers Celebrate Key Milestone
US - American pork producers are celebrating a key milestone that is helping millions of consumers understand where their food comes from and is empowering leaders for modern agriculture. The National...

CME: Packers Ability to Push Prices Concerns Market
US - Lean hog futures gained some ground on Tuesday and yet the market remains concerned about the ability of packers to push prices higher in the coming months, writes Steve Meyer and Len St...

CME: 2011 USDA Corn Yield Estimates Down Again
US - USDA will kick off the new year of “highly anticipated� crop production data Thursday with its monthly Crop Production and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), quarterly...

USDA: Focus on South American Weather
US - Corn and soybean prices declined sharply in mid-November and remained at the lower level through mid-December. From mid-December through early January, the cash price of corn in central Illinois...

Pork Board to Meet with Illinois Pork Producers
US - Days after closing the books on a successful 2011, members of the National Pork Board begin 2012 in Chicago, 11-13 January with a busy three-day meeting that includes discussions with leaders of the...

CME Economist Upgrades 2012 US Outlook
ANALYSIS - According to the CME Group's Chief Economist, Blu Putnam, US economic improvements in 2012 will start with real GDP forecast to grow around 3.5 per cent to 4.0 per cent, writes Sarah Mikesell,...

Antibiotic Rule - a Small Step and a Sad Indictment
ANALYSIS - The US Food and Drug Administration's decision to ban 'extra-label' or unapproved uses for certain antibiotics is a small step in the direction towards reducing the potential risk of antibiotic...

Sow Slaughter High this Autumn
US - USDA's December Hogs and Pigs report said the inventory of market hogs weighing 180 pounds or more on 1 December was down 0.4 per cent, writes Ron Plain in his Hog Outlook report...

CME: Relationships that May Impact Corn Prices
US - Writing in a recent Markets column for FarmweekNow.com, friend and noted analyst Dale Durchholz of AgriVisor pointed out some very interesting price relationships that may be impact corn prices in...

CME: 2011 Year of Adjustments for Meat Sector
US - 2011 will go down in the history books as a year of continued adjustments for the US beef, pork and broiler sectors, write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.

Hog Producers Follow Prudent Path
US - Hog production returned to profitability in 2011, but producers remain cautious about the future. This is evidenced by the modest expansion of the breeding herd as