Commodities: Page 30

Overcoming the challenges of soybean meal in piglet feed

Despite recent hikes in price, soybean protein, in its many and variable forms, remains one of the most attractive protein sources in pig diets. Soybean meal, the most common soybean product, is not just one more unavoidable agro-industrial byproduct from the oil extraction industry, but rather one of the most valuable commodities in animal nutrition.

Kansas officials urge farmers to plant sorghum instead of corn, soybeans

As Kansas prepares for its third consecutive year of drought, state officials are encouraging farmers to plant more grain sorghum instead of corn or soybeans, which traditionally use more water.

US wheat futures up on Russia weather, previous slump

U.S. wheat futures rose on December 24 due to a combination of freezing temperatures in Russia that may be damaging the country's winter wheat crop and three weeks of futures declines that have made U.S. wheat more competitive, according to reports. Wheat for March delivery advanced as much as 0.5 percent to $7.9625 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade.

International Trade

Italy grain imports fall on fewer wheat, corn purchases

Italian grain imports fell in the first nine months of 2012 due to a drop in domestic wheat and corn purchases, according to the Associazione Nazionale Cerealisti. Soft-wheat imports fell to 3.24 million tons costing €765.2 million from January through September, from 4.07 million tons and €995.2 million in 2011.

Mississippi poultry, eggs top agriculture commodities in 2012

Mississippi's agricultural commodities reached $7.3 billion in total estimated value in 2012, with poultry and eggs the top commodity at $2.53 billion, according to Mississippi State University agricultural economists. The $7.3 billion represents a 9.4-percent increase over 2011 numbers.

Brazil corn outlook drops on delayed soybean sowing

Brazil's second corn crop will be lower than expected in the state of Mato Grosso after soybean sowing was delayed, according to researcher Instituto Mato-Grossense de Economia Agropecuaria. The delay was caused by a lack of rain, and soybeans had to be replanted in some municipalities.

John Deere 1910 Commodity Air Cart

John Deere offers the 1910 Commodity Air Cart with three tanks: 200-bushel front and rear tanks, and a 150-bushel center tank.The 550-bushel model has hydraulic meter drives, variable-rate drive and hydraulic calibration.

US corn, soybean stocks at eight-year low

U.S. corn stocks are expected to be at 1.113 billion bushels when the U.S. Department of Agriculture releases its quarterly stocks report on September 28, the lowest level in eight years in spite of an early harvest that brought more than 1 billion bushels of grain into the supply pipeline, according to surveyed industry analysts. The report will also mark the end of the 2011–2012 marketing season.

International Trade

Japan more than doubles wheat import estimate for 2012

Japan has increased its wheat import estimate to 1.21 million metric tons for the 2012 financial year, up 58 percent from March predictions, according to reports. The demand has been attributed to a tightening in corn supplies and an increase in prices due to the worst U.S. drought in decades, which caused Japan's use of corn in animal feed to fall in July for the seventh straight month to hit a 20-year low.

US corn, soybean harvests coming in sooner than anticipated

U.S. corn and soybean crops are being harvested more quickly than anticipated, putting potential pressure on prices in the cash market as farmers sell more of their stock due to concerns over diseases such as aflatoxin that could hurt quality, according to analysts. The corn harvest was 26 percent complete as of September 16, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's weekly crop progress report, compared with an expected 24 percent based on a Reuters poll of 11 analysts, and up from a predicted 15 percent the week of September 9.

Feed Production by Region

World Bank: Global corn, soybean prices at all-time highs

Corn and soybean prices are at all-time highs globally, according to a recent World Bank report, causing global food prices to increase by 10 percent and creating severe budget challenges in the Middle East and Africa. The World Bank said the ongoing drought and dry summers in the U.S., Russia and India are the major cause, resulting in $300-per-metric-ton corn — twice the price of 2010.

China to release corn from state reserves

China is releasing corn and rice from state reserves to help offset inflation and stop imports as a result of global price increases due to the ongoing U.S. drought, according to reports. Rationing is already in full force, and further measures may be needed, said Christopher Narayanan, head of agricultural commodities research at Societe Generale.

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