Chicago benchmark wheat Wv1 futures fell on Wednesday for the sixth day in a row, as progress in the U.S. winter harvest weighed on prices and concerns eased over the Russian crop, traders said.
Chicago Board of Trade corn and soy dipped in choppy trade on Tuesday as traders weighed U.S. planting progress and strong corn ratings with adverse weather in importer Mexico and downgrades to soybean harvest forecasts in major exporter Brazil.
In March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast farmers would plant 86.5 million acres of soybeans nationwide this spring, the fifth most ever. Some analysts expect soybean acres to increase by another million acres or more as heavy rains close the window on corn planting.
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.
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.
Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures closed nearly flat on Friday but rose seven per cent for the week as concerns grew over crop losses in Russia and other exporting countries.
Bird flu virus particles were found in tissue samples taken from one dairy cow sent to slaughter at a U.S. meat processing plant, but none were detected in samples from 95 other cattle, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Friday.