Chicago Board of Trade corn and soybean futures fell on Monday on shaky demand, technical trading and expectations of strong seeding progress and crop condition for corn later in the day, traders said.
Forecasts for a smaller Russian wheat harvest due to persistent drought and frost pushed prices to a 10-month high of $7.20 a bushel this week. But by Friday, traders were less concerned about how much relief the well-timed rains might give the country's crop, analysts said.
Most Western Canadian wheat bids weakened a little during the week ended May 30 as spring wheat continued to be planted and winter wheat began its harvest.
Chicago wheat futures turned lower for a second straight session on Thursday, falling from 10-month highs, as traders assessed whether rain forecast in parts of Russia would halt a rapid decline in harvest estimates for the world's top exporter.
Chicago wheat futures edged down on Wednesday as investors took profits after the recent rally and questions remained about whether forecasts for rain in Russia would stem a decline in harvest prospects in the world's biggest exporter.
Soybean and corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade suffered a profit-taking correction on May 29, as speculative positioning and relatively favourable seeding progress across the United States weighed on values.
The managed money net short position in canola futures held steady during the week ended May 21, according to the latest Commitments of Traders report from the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures extended gains on Thursday after reaching a 10-month peak a day earlier, as lingering dryness and worries over the Black Sea crop continued to underpin the market.
Planting of the spring wheat in the United States continues to be off to an excellent start, according to Tom Lilja of Progressive Ag in Fargo. Meanwhile, the heavy rains that fell as of May 21 are very likely to lead to less corn being seeded with U.S. farmers switching to soybeans.