SINGAPORE: Chicago soybeans fell to more than three-week lows on Monday as rain in parts of Brazil’s oilseed producing areas eased crop concerns, even as leading consultants reduced their output forecasts.
Wheat firmed, recouping some of last session’s losses, while corn was largely unchanged.
“There have been some rains in Brazil and forecasters are looking at more wet weather,” said one Singapore-based trader at an international trading company.
“And Argentina’s output is going to rebound, so overall we expect ample supplies from South America in 2024.”
The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) lost 0.4% to $13.26 a bushel, as of 0345 GMT, after sliding to its lowest since Nov. 2 at $13.24 a bushel earlier in the session.
Wheat rose 0.5% to $5.80 a bushel, while corn gained 0.1% to $4.63-1/2 a bushel.
Rains in Brazil’s key soybean growing areas have reduced early crop damage risks.
However, agribusiness consultancies Safras & Mercado and hEDGEpoint on Friday reduced their estimates for Brazil’s 2023/24 soybean crop, as consensus grew that bad weather will hamper output in the world’s largest producer and exporter.
Safras said it now forecasts production this season to total 161.38 million metric tons, down from the 163.25 million tons it estimated before, while hEDGEpoint cut its projection to 160.1 million tons from 162.3 million tons.
In Argentina, the first sprouts of the 2023/24 soybean crop appeared in good shape after rains.
The US Department of Agriculture reported exporters sold 129,000 tons of US soybeans to China and another 323,400 tons of US soybeans to unknown buyers.
The USDA separately said 2023/24 US soybean export sales in the week ended Nov. 16 were 961,300 metric tons, toward the low end of analysts’ estimates.
Soybeans fall as rain benefits top supplier Brazil
Weekly US corn export sales for 2023/24 were toward the high end of estimates, while wheat sales met expectations. In news on the Black Sea supply front, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the country needs more air defences to protect its grain export routes as well as regions bordering Russia.
Dry weather in the growing season has reduced Australia’s wheat output this year, but most of the crop is with higher protein content and supplies of lower quality grains for animal feed are limited, analysts and traders said.
Commodity funds were net sellers of CBOT soybean, soyoil, soymeal, wheat and corn futures contracts on Friday, traders said.
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