TOP STORIES:

Grain, Soybean Prices Rise End Higher -- Market Talk

16:42 ET - Corn, wheat and soybean prices ended with gains on Tuesday as traders took stock of this spring's late planting start. "The big picture fundamental outlook, which is that the U.S. needs to raise another big crop to meet this year's demand is still very much in play," said Doug Bergman of RCM Alternatives. CBOT July corn ended up 0.8% at $3.90, while soybean and wheat futures end up as well at $10.22 1/4 and $4.98 3/4 respectively. (patrick.mcgroarty@gmail.com; @patmcgroarty)

STORIES OF INTEREST:

USDA Says 130,000 Tons Of Soybeans Sold to Argentina

WASHINGTON--Private exporters reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture export sales of 130,000 metric tons of soybeans for delivery to Argentina.

Of the total 60,000 metric tons is for delivery during the 2017/2018 marketing year, and 70,000 metric tons is for delivery during the 2018/2019 marketing year.

Algeria Buys Wheat in Tender

BERLIN--Algeria's state grain agency purchased 200,000 metric tons of durum wheat on Tuesday as part of a tender, according to traders.

The agency, known as OAIC, doesn't publish official details of its tenders.

Nations, Banks 'Must Help Cocoa Farmers With Volatility' -- Market Talk

1226 GMT - Governments need to do more to help cocoa farmers deal with the effects of wild price volatility, says David Short of the sustainable value chains cluster team at Aidenvironment. Speaking at the World Cocoa Conference in Berlin, Mr. Short says "we would recommend to introduce supply management, measures on land zoning, and even more robust crop diversification processes, especially in conjunction with a national policy framework." On top of that, regional cooperation between cocoa producing nations - neighbors Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon are responsible for three quarters of global production - needs to be stronger. Also, need to factor in price risk management as a part of their financing process. "If the bank allows price risk management, it's protecting itself," Mr. Short says. (david.hodari@wsj.com; @davidhodari)

THE MARKETS:

Supply Concerns Sink Hog Futures; Cattle Mixed

CHICAGO--Hog futures declined as supply concerns continued to temper optimism for growing pork consumption. Cattle contracts were mixed.

June-dated lean hog futures fell 2% at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to settle at 74.825 cents per pound, while more lightly traded May contracts also slipped. It was the third consecutive daily decline for a market that earlier this month staged a rally built on hopeful prospects for the U.S. summer grilling season.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 24, 2018 17:30 ET (21:30 GMT)