Markets
Oil slips below $104 on weaker China growth
Oil dipped below $104 per barrel on Monday as weak data from top energy consumer China muddied the oil demand outlook, overshadowing optimism stemming from a pickup in U.S. hiring.
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Oil gains $1 as U.S. equities rally on jobs data
Brent crude oil rose $1 a barrel on Friday as data pointing to modest gains in U.S. hiring gave U.S. stock markets a boost, taking crude along for the ride.
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Ag markets mixed after employment report Friday
Corn futures posted gains again Friday, with multiple factors influencing prices. Old crop tightness is probably continuing support for nearby futures, whereas weather concerns are reportedly boosting new crop values.
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Employment report seemed to support the ag markets Friday
Corn futures posted general gains again Friday morning, with multiple factors influencing prices.
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Vilsack calls for ending food waste
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is calling on both the public sector and private industry to reduce food waste. The USDA’s Bob Ellison has more.
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Plenty of corn may already be planted
When USDA’s Crop Progress report is issued Monday, planted corn acreage will not grow very much because of the continued wet weather across the Cornbelt. Actually, soybean acreage may increase more than corn, if some of those would-be corn acres will be converted to a statistic on a prevented planting insurance claim.
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Oil rises on weak dollar ahead of U.S. jobs data
Brent futures rose above $104 a barrel on Friday, supported by a sharp fall in the dollar and expectations of ongoing U.S. economic stimulus, putting the contract on course for its biggest weekly gain since late April.
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Large U.S. dollar losses probably boosted commodities Thursday
Corn futures moved generally higher Thursday. Old crop prices rose only slightly, due in part to talk that the cash situation has eased somewhat.
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Emergency forage decisions to be made
Recent weeks have included evaluation and discussion over winter-killed alfalfa fields. Many fields have already been plowed or interseeded for this year's immediate forage needs, but there may be more decisions to be made after first crop hay harvest.
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Farm bill closer to passing in Senate
The U.S. Senate voted 75 to 22 on Thursday to end debate on the farm bill, clearing way for passage next week.
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Slivers of drought refuse to budge
Severe drought still dominates in the Southwest..
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