Canola dips ahead of acreage reports

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Published: June 29, 2015

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Canola futures mostly dropped on Monday as investors lightened long positions ahead of key crop reports Tuesday in Canada and the United States.

Statistics Canada will report on crop acreage tomorrow morning, with the trade expecting a slight increase in its canola estimate. But ultimately the acreage number will have less impact than yield and with dry weather continuing in much of the western Prairies, the yield outlook is declining.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will release acreage and quarterly stocks reports on Tuesday.

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Rain was limited mostly to southern Manitoba during the weekend on the dry Canadian Prairies. Mid-week showers might offer slight, spotty relief but not enough to change the big picture.

Lightly traded July canola rose $11.20 to close at $523 per tonne. A trader said a commercial might have been caught short with deliveries starting this week.

Most-active November canola dropped $3 to $520.60 per tonne, in advance of the Statistics Canada acreage report. Also soy oil was lower.

Canola basis levels have improved in recent days indicating that exporters and processors need supply.

U.S. Chicago wheat hit a six month high and European wheat futures also surged for a third consecutive session, buoyed by concerns about rain-hit crops in the United States and potential damage from a hot spell in western Europe, traders said.

Meteorologists said wet conditions were forecast to persist in southern portions of the U.S. Midwest this week, slowing the harvest of soft red winter wheat

By contrast, in France, the EU’s top wheat producer, there is virtually no rain forecast in the next 10 days while temperatures are expected to reach record highs at between 30 and 40 degrees C in most of the country until at least Wednesday next week. It is also in high 30s in Germany

The hot spell for crops, which are at a crucial phase of grain filling, could lead to heat stress and hurt yields

However, brokers stressed the impact would vary widely between deep and shallow soils and crop varieties.

Chicago July wheat rose more than three percent while Minneapolis was up 1.38 percent.

Soybean futures ended mixed, with the front-month contract edging higher on short-covering while deferreds eased as traders took positions ahead of the USDA reports.

The front-month contract, which has risen for three sessions in a row, received additional support from better-than-expected export data

Soyoil futures weakened on pressure from declines in crude oil prices

The USDA reports, which will be released on Tuesday, were expected to show farmers planted a record 85.171 million acres of soybeans, up from the March estimates of 84.635 million

Analysts also expect that domestic soybean stocks as of June 1 totaled 670 million bushels, the largest for that time of year since 2008

Corn futures were mostly lower, reversing from earlier steep gains on pressure from profit taking ahead of the USDA reports.

Most corn contracts reached multimonth peaks during the session on worries that record U.S. rainfall over the past two months would reduce yield potential for the developing crop.

Wet conditions are forecast to persist in southern portions of the U.S. Midwest this week, threatening yield prospects for corn and soybeans there and slowing the harvest of soft red winter wheat, meteorologists said

U.S. corn and soybean conditions are still sliding as young plants sit in saturated soils after heavy rains fell across the central crop belt last week, grain analysts said on Monday before the government’s weekly crop progress report.

 

Light crude oil nearby futures in New York were down $1.30 to US$58.33 per barrel.

The Canadian dollar at noon was US80.76 cents, down from 80.91 cents the previous trading day. The U.S. dollar at noon was C$1.2382.

 

Winnipeg ICE Futures Canada dollars per tonne

Canola Jul 2015   523.00   +11.20   +2.19%

Canola Nov 2015   520.60   -3.00   -0.57%

Canola Jan 2016   518.50   -3.20   -0.61%

Canola Mar 2016   516.00   -3.10   -0.60%

Canola May 2016   512.50   -2.90   -0.56%

 

Milling Wheat Jul 2015   236.00   +7.00   +3.06%

Milling Wheat Oct 2015   238.00   +4.00   +1.71%

Milling Wheat Dec 2015   238.00   +4.00   +1.71%

 

Durum Wheat Jul 2015   298.00   unch   0.00%

Durum Wheat Oct 2015   298.00   unch   0.00%

Durum Wheat Dec 2015   303.00   unch   0.00%

 

Barley Jul 2015   208.40   +4.00   +1.96%

Barley Oct 2015   203.40   +4.00   +2.01%

Barley Dec 2015   208.40   +4.00   +1.96%

 

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

 

Chicago

Soybeans Jul 2015   1002.5   +0.5   +0.05%

Soybeans Aug 2015   994.5   -3.25   -0.33%

Soybeans Sep 2015   984.5   -5   -0.51%

Soybeans Nov 2015   980   -6   -0.61%

Soybeans Jan 2016   985   -6.25   -0.63%

Soybeans Mar 2016   983.25   -7   -0.71%

 

Soybean Meal Jul 2015   341.9   +0.6   +0.18%

Soybean Meal Aug 2015   334   -0.8   -0.24%

Soybean Meal Sep 2015   329   -0.6   -0.18%

 

Soybean Oil Jul 2015   33.05   -0.17   -0.51%

Soybean Oil Aug 2015   33.11   -0.2   -0.60%

Soybean Oil Sep 2015   33.17   -0.21   -0.63%

 

Corn Jul 2015   383.25   -1.75   -0.45%

Corn Sep 2015   392   -0.5   -0.13%

Corn Dec 2015   402.25   +0.25   +0.06%

Corn Mar 2016   412.5   -0.25   -0.06%

Corn May 2016   418.5   -0.75   -0.18%

 

Oats Jul 2015   246   -13.5   -5.20%

Oats Sep 2015   256.75   -10.5   -3.93%

Oats Dec 2015   267   -6.5   -2.38%

Oats Mar 2016   271.75   -5.25   -1.90%

Oats May 2016 276   -5.25   -1.87%

 

Wheat Jul 2015   580.5   +18.25   +3.25%

Wheat Sep 2015   583.5   +15.5   +2.73%

Wheat Dec 2015   590.75   +14.75   +2.56%

Wheat Mar 2016   595.25   +12   +2.06%

Wheat May 2016   598.75   +10.5   +1.78%

 

Minneapolis

Spring Wheat Jul 2015   604  +8.25   +1.38%

Spring Wheat Sep 2015   618.75   +9.5   +1.56%

Spring Wheat Dec 2015   631.75   +9.5   +1.53%

Spring Wheat Mar 2016   641.75   +9   +1.42%

Spring Wheat May 2016   648.5   +8.25   +1.29%

 

Kansas City

Hard Red Wheat Jul 2015   571.5   +12.25   +2.19%

Hard Red Wheat Sep 2015   581.5   +12.5   +2.20%

Hard Red Wheat Dec 2015   600.25   +11.75   +2.00%

Hard Red Wheat Mar 2016   612.5   +11   +1.83%

Hard Red Wheat May 2016   620.5   +10.25   +1.68%

About the author

D'Arce McMillan

Markets editor, Saskatoon newsroom

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