WRAP: Record U.S. crop forecast fails to drop crop futures

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Published: August 12, 2016

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The USDA on Friday pushed its yield forecasts for corn and soybeans beyond the average of traders’ expectations but by the end of the day, the crop market was little changed.

Record yield forecasts initially hit prices hard, but then commercial and end user buying started to reel the prices back up.

Canola followed the movements in soybeans and when the dust settled the nearby contracts were narrowly mixed.

November closed at $461.40, down 90 cents and January closed at $467.30, up 10 cents.

For the week, November canola rose $11.60 or 2.6 percent.

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(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed Grains Weekly: Price likely to keep stepping back

As the harvest in southern Alberta presses on, a broker said that is one of the factors pulling feed prices lower in the region. Darcy Haley, vice-president of Ag Value Brokers in Lethbridge, added that lower cattle numbers in feedlots, plentiful amounts of grass for cattle to graze and a lacklustre export market also weighed on feed prices.

CANADA-CHINA TALKS

Talks between Canada and Chinese officials in Beijing this week have concluded without a solution to the dispute over China’s plan to tighten dockage rules in canola Sept. 1.

Discussions will continue between the two governments, and resolving the issue is a priority for Ottawa, Guy Gallant, spokesman for Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, told Reuters on Friday.

WEEKLY CRUSH

The Canadian Oilseed Processors Association said the crush since the start of the new crop to Aug. 10 was 202,928 tonnes, down from 233,958 tonnes in the same period last year.

The crush for the week was running at a slow 63.8 percent of capacity.

Unsettled weather Friday had thunderstorm advisories in effect in Saskatchewan, but mostly dry, warm weather was expected for the weekend and early next week.

USDA REPORT

The USDA estimated the corn crop at 15.153 billion bushels, based on an average yield of 175.1 bu. per acre. That topped analysts’ forecasts that ranged from 14.580 billion to 15.146 billion for production and 168.6 to 175 for yield.

The soybean harvest was seen at 4.060 billion bu., with yields expected to average 48.9 bu. per acre. Analysts’ soybean estimates ranged from 3.865 billion to 4.054 billion for production and 46.7 to 48.8 for yield.

The USDA forecast year end domestic corn supply for 2016-17 will be 2.409 billion bushels, up from the July forecast of 2.081 billion and the 2015-16 ending stocks of 1.706 billion.

U.S. 2016-17 wheat ending stocks were pegged at 1.1 billion bu., virtually unchanged from the July report but up from 0.981 billion at the end of 2015-16.

Soybean 2016-17 ending stocks were pegged at 330 million bu., up from 290 million in July and last year’s 255 million.

WHEAT

The USDA increased its outlook for global wheat production to 743.44 million tonnes.

It slashed the EU to 147.5 million tonnes, down nine million tonnes because of the problems in France.

However, that was more than made up for by a total 11 million tonnes increase in production in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

It raised Canada wheat production forecast one million tonnes to 30 million and also raised Australia by one million to 26.5 million. The U.S. climbed 1.63 million to 63.16 million.

The year-end global wheat stocks however dropped due to an increase in consumption.

It pegged 2016-17 ending stocks at 252.82 million tonnes, down slightly from 253.7 million in the July report. However, that was still more than the 2015-16 ending stocks at 241.88 million tonnes.

Light crude oil nearby futures in New York rose $1 to US$44.49 per barrel.

The Canadian dollar at noon was US77.25 cents, up from 76.88 cents the previous trading day. The U.S. dollar at noon was C$1.2945.

The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index closed down 48.61 points, or 0.33 percent, at 14,747.45.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 37.12 points, or 0.2 percent, to 18,576.4, the S&P 500 lost 1.74 points, or 0.08 percent, to 2,184.05 and the Nasdaq Composite added 4.50 points, or 0.09 percent, to 5,232.90

 

Winnipeg ICE Futures Canada dollars per tonne

Canola Nov 2016   461.40   -0.90   -0.19%

Canola Jan 2017   467.30   +0.10   +0.02%

Canola Mar 2017   473.40   +0.50   +0.11%

Canola May 2017   478.40   +0.90   +0.19%

Canola Jul 2017   482.00   +0.50   +0.10%

 

Milling Wheat Oct 2016   212.00   +2.00   +0.95%

Milling Wheat Dec 2016   216.00   +2.00   +0.93%

Milling Wheat Mar 2017   221.00   +2.00   +0.91%

 

Durum Wheat Oct 2016   261.00   unch   0.00%

Durum Wheat Dec 2016   264.00   unch   0.00%

Durum Wheat Mar 2017   268.00   unch   0.00%

 

Barley Oct 2016   138.00   unch   0.00%

Barley Dec 2016   138.00   unch   0.00%

Barley Mar 2017   140.00   unch   0.00%

 

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

 

Chicago

Soybeans Aug 2016   1003.25   -19.00   -1.86%

Soybeans Sep 2016   999.00   -2.75   -0.27%

Soybeans Nov 2016   981.75   -2.25   -0.23%

Soybeans Jan 2017   982.25   -1.25   -0.13%

Soybeans Mar 2017   976.50   +1.75   +0.18%

Soybeans May 2017   975.00   +1.25   +0.13%

 

Soybean Meal Aug 2016   332.90   -1.00   -0.30%

Soybean Meal Sep 2016   332.50   -1.40   -0.42%

Soybean Meal Oct 2016   330.00   -1.80   -0.54%

 

Soybean Oil Aug 2016   31.90   +0.19   +0.60%

Soybean Oil Sep 2016   32.03   +0.24   +0.75%

Soybean Oil Oct 2016   32.16   +0.23   +0.72%

 

Corn Sep 2016   322.25   +1.25   +0.39%

Corn Dec 2016   333.00   +1.25   +0.38%

Corn Mar 2017   343.50   +1.50   +0.44%

Corn May 2017   350.25   +1.25   +0.36%

Corn Jul 2017   357.00   +1.25   +0.35%

 

Oats Sep 2016   167.00   -2.00   -1.18%

Oats Dec 2016   181.25   -0.75   -0.41%

Oats Mar 2017   191.50   -0.25   -0.13%

Oats May 2017 195.75   unch   0.00%

Oats Jul 2017   202.00   -1.00   -0.49%

 

Wheat Sep 2016   422.50   +6.25   +1.50%

Wheat Dec 2016   440.00   +3.00   +0.69%

Wheat Mar 2017   462.00   +1.75   +0.38%

Wheat May 2017   475.00   +2.00   +0.42%

Wheat Jul 2017   482.00   +2.50   +0.52%

 

Minneapolis

Spring Wheat Sep 2016   513.75   +10.25   +2.04%

Spring Wheat Dec 2016   516.00   +6.50   +1.28%

Spring Wheat Mar 2017   529.00   +6.00   +1.15%

Spring Wheat May 2017   537.75   +6.00   +1.13%

Spring Wheat Jul 2017   547.00   +5.50   +1.02%

 

Kansas City

Hard Red Wheat Sep 2016   416.25   +4.00   +0.97%

Hard Red Wheat Dec 2016   442.25   +4.25   +0.97%

Hard Red Wheat Mar 2017   458.00   +3.75   +0.83%

Hard Red Wheat May 2017   468.50   +3.50   +0.75%

Hard Red Wheat Jul 2017   478.00   +4.00   +0.84%

 

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

Live Cattle (P) Aug 2016   116.32   +0.29   +0.25%

Live Cattle (P) Oct 2016   114.53   -0.02   -0.02%

Live Cattle (P) Dec 2016   115.05   -0.25   -0.22%

 

Feeder Cattle (P) Aug 2016   149.08   +0.36   +0.24%

Feeder Cattle (P) Sep 2016   147.55   +0.58   +0.39%

Feeder Cattle (P) Oct 2016   144.25   +0.20   +0.14%

 

Lean Hogs (P) Aug 2016   67.15   -0.05   -0.07%

Lean Hogs (P) Oct 2016   60.00   +1.58   +2.70%

Lean Hogs (P) Dec 2016   54.95   +0.60   +1.10%

About the author

D'Arce McMillan

Markets editor, Saskatoon newsroom

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