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By Gus Trompiz and Naveen Thukral
PARIS/SINGAPORE, Oct 27 (Reuters) – Chicago wheat futures on Thursday extended a bounce from a five-week low, supported by weakness in the dollar and reduced forecasts for Argentina’s drought-hit crop.
Lingering uncertainty over the future of a United Nations-backed Black Sea export corridor also underpinned grain markets.
Chicago corn was firm to hold near a one-week high touched on Wednesday, while soybeans rose to a two-week top.
The dollar index slipped to a new one-month low before steadying. FRX/
Investors are debating whether the U.S. Federal Reserve will curb its pace of interest rate increases, while bracing for an expected rate hike from the European Central Bank.
A weaker dollar makes U.S. commodities cheaper overseas.
Argentina’s 2022/23 wheat harvest will come in at 13.7 million tonnes, the Rosario grain exchange said on Wednesday, a sharp cut from its previous forecast of 15 million tonnes.
That followed an estimate of 15.5 million tonnes by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s local office in Argentina, which was 2 million tonnes below the USDA’s official forecast.
The reduced production outlook cooled hopes that rain in recent days may boost crop conditions.
“Argentina has received some rains this week but traders see a drier period just ahead,” research firm Hightower said in a report. “Some weather traders see the drought stress continuing in the longer term.”
Argentina is a major wheat exporter and a poor crop could tighten international supply if the war in Ukraine continues to hamper Black Sea trade.
United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Wednesday that he was “relatively optimistic” that the corridor arrangement for Ukrainian exports would be extended beyond mid-November.
The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Wv1 was up 1.1% at $8.49-1/2 a bushel by 0929 GMT, moving further away from Wednesday’s low of $8.24.
CBOT soybeans Sv1 edged up 0.4% to $13.99 a bushel and corn Cv1 also rose 0.4%, to $6.87-1/2 a bushel.
The dollar’s weakness has added to improved export sentiment in soybeans after sign of a pick-up in overseas demand.
Traders are awaiting weekly U.S. export sales data at 1230 GMT for further clues.
Prices at 0929 GMT
Last
Change
Pct Move
End 2021
Ytd Pct Move
CBOT wheat Wv1
849.50
9.00
1.07
770.75
10.22
CBOT corn Cv1
687.50
2.50
0.36
593.25
15.89
CBOT soy Sv1
1399.00
6.00
0.43
1339.25
4.46
Paris wheat BL2c1
337.50
3.25
0.97
276.75
21.95
Paris maize EMAc1
334.75
2.50
0.75
226.00
48.12
Paris rape COMc1
645.00
-0.75
-0.12
754.00
-14.46
WTI crude oil CLc1
87.86
-0.05
-0.06
75.21
16.82
Euro/dlr EUR=
1.00
0.00
-0.31
1.1368
-11.63
Most active contracts – Wheat, corn and soy US cents/bushel, Paris futures in euros per tonne
(Reporting by Gus Trompiz in Paris and Naveen Thukral in Singapore; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Subhranshu Sahu)
((gus.trompiz@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 52 18; Reuters Messaging: gus.trompiz.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
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