The U.S. government is taking steps to protect agricultural markets from high-frequency traders — a move some say will make little difference down on the farm, the Wall Street Journal reported. Starting on Aug. 1, the Agriculture Department will change how it releases crop and livestock reports. It is an attempt to placate critics who say fast traders are reaping profits in wheat, corn and soybean futures at the expense of slower investors. The agency says computerized traders can currently get its data around two seconds before everyone else — eons in today’s electronic markets. Farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses often rely on futures markets to protect against swings in commodity prices. Some agriculture groups complain that high-speed trading has hurt these markets by increasing volatility and making it tougher for more traditional players to execute trades at good prices.
