U.S. wheat futures turned higher on Wednesday as worries about crop prospects in top global exporter Russia sparked a round of short-covering, analysts said.
Optimism over increased Chinese demand along with weather concerns in Brazil gave the Chicago soybean market a boost and triggered some fund short covering over the past week, but the futures will likely face stiff resistance to the upside going forward.
U.S. soybean and corn futures climbed to two-month highs on Tuesday, following broad gains in commodity and equity markets after China unveiled economic stimulus measures, but pared gains as forecasts called for improved crop weather in South America, analysts said.
Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures hit nearly a seven-week high on Monday as uncertainty about Brazilian planting weather and the size of the U.S. harvest sparked a round of fund-driven short-covering, analysts said.
The net fund short position in canola grew in mid-September, as speculative selling took the futures to contract lows, according to the latest Commitments of Traders report from the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Chicago corn and wheat futures ticked down on Thursday following lackluster export sales data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Soybeans were dragged along for the ride despite more encouraging numbers, said analysts.
Argentine farmers have begun abandoning some wheat fields due to an extended lack of rainfall in certain parts of its agricultural heartland, the Buenos Aires grains exchange said in a weekly report on Thursday.
Canadian purchases of corn from the United States are off to a slow start in the 2024-25 marketing year, with ample old crop barley supplies likely limiting demand.
Soybean futures climbed on Wednesday on a round of short covering sparked by concerns over hot, dry weather in top producer Brazil that may threaten soybean seeding, traders said.