Analysts Predict US Corn Plantings Down

Analysts' predictions showed a fall in corn plantings in the US this year ahead of the USDA planting survey, expected later today.

This is a key report used by analysts and market participants to form ideas about the size of the grain crop in the fall and it is critically important for US livestock and poultry producers - continue reading.

A weather and crop specialist with the Canadian Wheat Board says, while anticipated reduced US corn planting this year will impact feed grain prices, it's unlikely to alter planting decisions on the western Canadian prairies.

The early snow melt is expected to allow prairie farmers to get on the land earlier than usual this spring - read more.

Also this week...

Even though the Indian government has not fixed any target for hybrid rice production, India’s hybrid rice sowing acreage exceeded 2.5 million hectares during 2014, Indian minister of state for agriculture, Mohanbhai Kundaria said recently.

The minister said that efforts are being made to promote cultivation of hybrid rice through various crop development programmes - continue reading.

~ Gemma