Canola drifts lower as combines roll, wheat up on Australia rain

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Published: September 27, 2016

Canola futures drifted lower on Tuesday on commercial hedging while American crop futures edged higher.

Harvest should progress across the Prairies this week thanks to mostly sunny dry weather.

A weather disturbance enters the picture on Saturday in southern Alberta, spreading into southern Saskatchewan on Sunday when Environment Canada sees a 60 percent chance of rain in many areas.

U.S. grains bounced back a little from losses on Monday, supported by short covering.

The market is starting to adjust to reflect its expectations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture year end stocks report to be issued Friday.

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Alberta crop conditions improve: report

Varied precipitation and warm temperatures were generally beneficial for crop development across Alberta during the week ended July 8, according to the latest provincial crop report released July 11.

Minneapolis spring wheat saw the strongest gain today, supported by quality problems in Canada’s crop and word that eastern Australia’s wheat crop is being hit by heavy rain late in the growing season.

Gains in U.S. crop futures today were kept in check by the advancing harvest, even though it is running a little behind the norm because of heavy rain in the northern Midwest last week.

The USDA said late Monday the U.S. soybean harvest was 10 percent complete by Sunday, behind the five-year average of 13 percent and just behind an average of analyst estimates for 11 percent.

The USDA left its soybean condition ratings unchanged, with 73 percent of the crop seen as good to excellent.

Rich Feltes, vice president for research at R.J. O’Brien, said early yield results for U.S. soybeans have been impressive.

“On a national basis we are seeing … very few (anecdotal harvest) yields that are below USDA’s number, at 50-plus (bushels per acre),” Feltes said.

The U.S. corn harvest was 15 percent complete as of Sunday, behind the five-year average of 19 percent and behind an average of analyst estimates for 17 percent.

The corn condition ratings were unchanged, with 74 percent of the crop seen as good to excellent.

It said the U.S. winter wheat crop was 30 percent planted as of Sunday, matching the five-year average but slightly behind an average of analyst expectations for 32 percent.

In Australia farmers in the eastern grain belt are worrying about grain quality after heavy rain earlier this month, and fresh forecasts for more rain this week.

Australian farmers will start their harvest in a few weeks.

Excess rain hurting crop quality has been a problem in many regions of the world this year.

As noted earlier, USDA on Friday reports U.S. stockpiles of wheat, corn and soybeans as of Sept. 1. A Reuters poll shows traders expect stocks to be above levels at the same time in 2015.

An estimated 80.9 million people watched the first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, said CNN.

Crude oil fell on fading expectations for an OPEC agreement to limit production.

 

The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index fell 61.42 points, or 0.42 per cent, at 14,558.04.

 

 

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 133.34 points, or 0.74 percent, to 18,228.17, the S&P 500 gained 13.82 points, or 0.64 percent, to 2,159.92 and the Nasdaq Composite added 48.22 points, or 0.92 percent, to 5,305.71.

 

 

Light crude oil nearby futures in New York were down $1.26 to US$44.67 per barrel.

The Canadian dollar at noon was US75.48 cents, down from 75.77 cents the previous trading day. The U.S. dollar at noon was C$1.3248.

 

Winnipeg ICE Futures Canada dollars per tonne

Canola Nov 2016   465.60   -1.80   -0.39%

Canola Jan 2017   473.10   -1.50   -0.32%

Canola Mar 2017   478.40   -1.50   -0.31%

Canola May 2017   483.50   -1.40   -0.29%

Canola Jul 2017   486.60   -1.80   -0.37%

 

Milling Wheat Oct 2016   215.00   -3.00   -1.38%

Milling Wheat Dec 2016   217.00   -3.00   -1.36%

Milling Wheat Mar 2017   221.00   -3.00   -1.34%

 

Durum Wheat Oct 2016   274.00   unch   0.00%

Durum Wheat Dec 2016   275.00   unch   0.00%

Durum Wheat Mar 2017   280.00   unch   0.00%

 

Barley Oct 2016   132.50   unch   0.00%

Barley Dec 2016   132.50   -0.50   -0.38%

Barley Mar 2017   134.50   -0.50   -0.37%

 

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

 

Chicago

Soybeans Nov 2016   952.50   +7.25   +0.77%

Soybeans Jan 2017   958.75   +7.25   +0.76%

Soybeans Mar 2017   965.25   +8.00   +0.84%

Soybeans May 2017   971.00   +8.00   +0.83%

Soybeans Jul 2017   975.75   +7.75   +0.80%

Soybeans Aug 2017   974.75   +7.75   +0.80%

 

Soybean Meal Oct 2016   299.30   +1.70   +0.57%

Soybean Meal Dec 2016   299.60   +2.00   +0.67%

Soybean Meal Jan 2017   300.80   +2.30   +0.77%

 

Soybean Oil Oct 2016   33.12   unch   0.00%

Soybean Oil Dec 2016   33.35   unch   0.00%

Soybean Oil Jan 2017   33.59   unch   0.00%

 

Corn Dec 2016   331.75   +2.75   +0.84%

Corn Mar 2017   341.75   +2.75   +0.81%

Corn May 2017   348.75   +2.75   +0.79%

Corn Jul 2017   355.75   +3.00   +0.85%

Corn Sep 2017   362.75   +3.00   +0.83%

 

Oats Dec 2016   174.50   +1.25   +0.72%

Oats Mar 2017   184.75   unch   0.00%

Oats May 2017   189.75   unch   0.00%

Oats Jul 2017   197.75   +0.50   +0.25%

Oats Sep 2017   198.75   +0.50   +0.25%

 

Wheat Dec 2016   404.00   +8.00   +2.02%

Wheat Mar 2017   426.00   +6.25   +1.49%

Wheat May 2017   439.50   +5.75   +1.33%

Wheat Jul 2017   448.50   +5.00   +1.13%

Wheat Sep 2017   462.50   +5.00   +1.09%

 

Minneapolis

Spring Wheat Dec 2016   502.75   +8.25   +1.67%

Spring Wheat Mar 2017   511.00   +9.00   +1.79%

Spring Wheat May 2017   518.75   +9.25   +1.82%

Spring Wheat Jul 2017   527.00   +9.25   +1.79%

Spring Wheat Sep 2017   536.50   +9.50   +1.80%

 

Kansas City

Hard Red Wheat Dec 2016   419.25   +5.25   +1.27%

Hard Red Wheat Mar 2017   436.00   +5.25   +1.22%

Hard Red Wheat May 2017   446.00   +5.25   +1.19%

Hard Red Wheat Jul 2017   456.00   +5.25   +1.16%

Hard Red Wheat Sep 2017   469.50   +5.25   +1.13%

 

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

Live Cattle (P) Oct 2016   103.82   -3.01   -2.82%

Live Cattle (P) Dec 2016   103.12   -3.01   -2.84%

Live Cattle (P) Feb 2017   103.65   -2.65   -2.49%

 

Feeder Cattle (P) Sep 2016   134.82   -1.23   -0.90%

Feeder Cattle (P) Oct 2016   126.85   -4.20   -3.20%

Feeder Cattle (P) Nov 2016   123.37   -4.51 -3.53%

 

Lean Hogs (P) Oct 2016   51.70   -1.35   -2.54%

Lean Hogs (P) Dec 2016   46.45   -2.15   -4.42%

Lean Hogs (P) Feb 2017   51.30   -1.65   -3.12%

 

 

About the author

D'Arce McMillan

Markets editor, Saskatoon newsroom

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