At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle were up, optimistic about this week’s direct business. August live cattle closed $2.60 higher at $212.35 and October live cattle closed $2.67 higher at $210.60. August feeder cattle closed $2.65 higher at $303.98 and September feeder cattle closed $2.72 at $303.15. A light round of direct…… Continue Reading
Soybeans, corn, wheat have modest midweek gains
Soybeans were higher on short covering and technical buying. The trade was reacting to reports China and the U.S. could talk tariffs soon. Recent rhetoric out of Washington D.C. and Beijing has been mixed, with commodities in general waiting for public advancements and details on a number of proposed trade pacts with key partners. The…… Continue Reading
Widespread, heavy rains hit Missouri
The widespread, heavy rains have given Missouri crops a drink and delaying some fieldwork. In Ray and Carroll Counties, Daniel Carpenter says the rain totals vary, up to 1.8 inches. “We didn’t get any straight line or too strong of winds, there was no hail and the rains were steady,” he says. “Most of the…… Continue Reading
Closing Grain and Livestock Futures: June 4, 2025
Jul. corn closed at $4.38 and 3/4, up 1/4 centJul. soybeans closed at $10.45, up 4 and 1/4 centsJul. soybean meal closed at $297.10, up $2.60Jul. soybean oil closed at 46.81, unchangedJul. wheat closed at $5.43 and 1/4, up 7 and 1/4 centsAug. live cattle closed at $212.35, up $2.60Aug. feeder cattle closed at $303.87,…… Continue Reading
Broiler sets up on week, placements down
The USDA reports a mixed week for broiler hatchery numbers. 252.187 million broiler-type eggs were set into incubators, up 260,000 on the week, while 192.649 million broiler type chicks were placed into meat production, down 1.553 million. Both sets and placements were 1% ahead of last year, with cumulative placements for 2025 to date also…… Continue Reading
Link between claw lesions and farrowing performance in sow herds
Zinpro business manager Ton Kramer says claw lesions in hog herds are often overlooked. He tells Brownfield research shows a link between lesion severity and farrowing performance, and there are management and monitoring strategies he encourages pork producers to implement. The post Link between claw lesions and farrowing performance in sow herds appeared first on…… Continue Reading
Farmers expect short-term farmland values to increase
According to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer shows farmers expect farmland values to increase in the near term. Jim Mintert with Purdue’s Center for Commercial Agriculture says recent trade negotiations likely contributed to the increase. “I think it’s tied back to this idea that ag trade was going to be improving over the next…… Continue Reading
Rise in wean-to-finish pig mortality
Zoetis Pork technical services veterinarian Dr. Dave Baumert says there’s a rise in wean-to-finish pig mortality. He tells Brownfield the biggest culprit is respiratory diseases, and there are several steps pork producers can take to protect livestock. The post Rise in wean-to-finish pig mortality appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. … Continue Reading
Vietnam top trade priority for NPPC
The National Pork Producers Council views Vietnam as a top export priority. NPPC vice president of government relations Maria Zieba says there’s a lot of trade uncertainty. “There’s a lot of negotiations happening behind the scenes. Our top priority remains and will continue to be market access into Vietnam, we see this as a huge…… Continue Reading
Mass honeybee decline could impact the future of production agriculture
A Michigan-based veterinarian says a large decline in U.S. honeybee populations over the last year could impact the viability of food production. Terry Ryan Kane says beekeepers nationwide are seeing a 70 to 100% collapse in their colonies. “As our bee herd travels around the country, they’re assaulted by different diseases, different habitats, different climate,…… Continue Reading
