Wheat pressured by rain forecast, canola drifts lower

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Published: January 11, 2017

Canola futures drifted lower on Wednesday but winter wheat was under more pressure as rain is forecast to ease dry soil concerns in the U.S. southern Plains.

At one point Kansas and Chicago wheat were down more than 12 cents a bushel but at the close prices had clawed back a bit, with March Kansas closing down 6.5 cents or 1.5 percent at US$4.31 ¾ per bushel.

Minneapolis spring wheat held up much better, and closed almost unchanged.

Between one and four inches of rain are expected in large parts of Kansas and Oklahoma over the next seven days.

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Soybeans and corn edged slightly lower today but oats rallied more than two percent.

Traders were squaring position in advance of Thursday’s USDA reports.

The department will issue its first survey of seeded winter wheat acres in addition to the usual monthly supply and demand report.

A Reuters poll shows the trade on average expects 34.14 million winter wheat acres, down from last year’s 36.14. That would mean American farmers would seed the smallest winter wheat crop since 1913.

USDA will also issue its December crop stocks report, which will allow the trade insight into how export and domestic demand are affecting ending stocks projections.

In some years the January USDA reports can have a big market impact if the December stocks report alters the department’s forecast for year-end carry out stocks.

A Reuters poll showed that on average the trade expects the USDA will reduce its forecast for year end corn and soybean carry out and keep the wheat carry out number almost unchanged.

CHINE-US TRADE

China today increased its anti dumping duty on American distillers dried grains and also raised anti-subsidy tariffs.

China’s commerce department initially found the U.S. subsidized its DDGS in a ruling in September and issued preliminary duties of almost 34 percent.

The new duties range from 42.2 percent to 53.7 percent.

Beijing said it found the domestic DDGS industry had “suffered substantial harm” due to subsidized imports from the United States.

The penalty hike was larger than experts expected, and came amid growing tensions between the two countries over China’s corn subsidies and its steel and aluminium exports.

Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has threatened to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese goods coming into the United States.

 

The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index closed up 65.26 points, or 0.42 percent, at 15,491.54.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 98.75 points, or 0.5 percent, to 19,954.28, the S&P 500 gained 6.42 points, or 0.28 percent, to 2,275.32 and the Nasdaq Composite added 11.83 points, or 0.21 percent, to 5,563.65.

Light crude oil nearby futures in New York were up $1.43 to US$52.25 per barrel. Oil fell the previous two days on worries that Iraq and Libya might increase shipments even as OPEC and other major exporters work to implement an agreement to trim production.

Today the market rose on a weaker U.S. dollar, signs Saudi Arabia is cutting production and hopes that the incoming Trump administration will pursue policies that will stimulate the economy.

The Canadian dollar at noon was US75.57 cents, down from 75.71 cents the previous trading day. The U.S. dollar at noon was C$1.3232.

 

Winnipeg ICE Futures Canada dollars per tonne

Canola Mar 2017            498.10            -1.90            -0.38%

Canola May 2017            504.80            -1.90            -0.37%

Canola Jul 2017 508.60            -1.30            -0.25%

Canola Nov 2017            488.50            -1.40            -0.29%

Canola Jan 2018            490.30            -1.40            -0.28%

 

Milling Wheat Mar 2017            237.00            -2.00            -0.84%

Milling Wheat May 2017            238.00            -2.00            -0.83%

Milling Wheat Jul 2017            237.00            -1.00            -0.42%

 

Durum Wheat Mar 2017            317.00            unch            0.00%

Durum Wheat May 2017            320.00            unch            0.00%

Durum Wheat Jul 2017            323.00            unch            0.00%

 

Barley Mar 2017            142.00            unch            0.00%

Barley May 2017            144.00            unch            0.00%

Barley Jul 2017            145.00            unch            0.00%

 

American crop prices in cents US/bushel, soybean meal in $US/short ton, soy oil in cents US/pound

 

Chicago

Soybeans Jan 2017            1003.00            -2.50            -0.25%

Soybeans Mar 2017            1011.50            -2.25            -0.22%

Soybeans May 2017            1020.50            -2.25            -0.22%

Soybeans Jul 2017            1027.75            -2.00            -0.19%

Soybeans Aug 2017            1026.00            -2.00            -0.19%

Soybeans Sep 2017            1011.00            -2.00            -0.20%

 

Soybean Meal Jan 2017            310.70            -2.70            -0.86%

Soybean Meal Mar 2017            314.90            -2.60            -0.82%

Soybean Meal May 2017            317.70            -2.40            -0.75%

 

Soybean Oil Jan 2017            35.79            +0.36            +1.02%

Soybean Oil Mar 2017            36.00            +0.36            +1.01%

Soybean Oil May 2017            36.25            +0.36            +1.00%

 

Corn Mar 2017            357.25            -1.00            -0.28%

Corn May 2017            364.00            -1.25            -0.34%

Corn Jul 2017            371.00            -1.50            -0.40%

Corn Sep 2017            378.00            -1.00            -0.26%

Corn Dec 2017            385.75            -0.75            -0.19%

 

Oats Mar 2017            231.75            +5.25            +2.32%

Oats May 2017            230.50            +5.75            +2.56%

Oats Jul 2017            230.50            +5.75            +2.56%

Oats Sep 2017            230.75            unch            0.00%

Oats Dec 2017            231.00            +2.50            +1.09%

 

Wheat Mar 2017            418.75            -8.00            -1.87%

Wheat May 2017            432.25            -7.50            -1.71%

Wheat Jul 2017            447.25            -7.00            -1.54%

Wheat Sep 2017            461.00            -6.25            -1.34%

Wheat Dec 2017            477.00            -5.50            -1.14%

 

Minneapolis

Spring Wheat Mar 2017            561.50            +0.25            +0.04%

Spring Wheat May 2017            551.00            -1.00            -0.18%

Spring Wheat Jul 2017            546.50            -2.00            -0.36%

Spring Wheat Sep 2017            550.00            unch            0.00%

Spring Wheat Dec 2017            556.00            -0.75            -0.13%

 

Kansas City

Hard Red Wheat Mar 2017            431.75            -6.50            -1.48%

Hard Red Wheat May 2017            443.50            -6.50            -1.44%

Hard Red Wheat Jul 2017            454.75            -6.50            -1.41%

Hard Red Wheat Sep 2017            469.25            -6.25            -1.31%

Hard Red Wheat Dec 2017            488.00            -6.25            -1.26%

 

Chicago livestock futures in US¢/pound (rounded to two decimal places)

Live Cattle (P) Feb 2017            119.12            -0.41            -0.34%

Live Cattle (P) Apr 2017            117.90            -0.77            -0.65%

Live Cattle (P) Jun 2017            107.78            -0.07            -0.06%

 

Feeder Cattle (P) Jan 2017            132.05            -0.65            -0.49%

Feeder Cattle (P) Mar 2017            129.62            -0.38            -0.29%

Feeder Cattle (P) Apr 2017            129.08            -0.47            -0.36%

 

Lean Hogs (P) Feb 2017            65.60            +0.55            +0.85%

Lean Hogs (P) Apr 2017            69.50            +0.17            +0.25%

Lean Hogs (P) May 2017            74.52            +0.09            +0.12%

 

 

About the author

D'Arce McMillan

Markets editor, Saskatoon newsroom

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