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Wheat futures hit three-month low

September 10, 2023 00:00:00


CHICAGO, Sept 9 (Reuters): Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures fell to their lowest price in more than three months on Friday, while soybean futures dropped to a two-week low.

Trading was choppy and subdued before the U.S. issues a monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report on Sept. 12, analysts said.

"It's just simple consolidation, basically ahead of next Tuesday's WASDE report," said Karl Setzer, brokerage research lead for Mid-Co Commodities.

"When we have these early-week WASDE reports, you tend to see - the Thursday, Friday beforehand - the consolidation and shoring up of positions."

Most-active wheat Wv1 was down 4-1/4 cents at $5.95-1/2 a bushel by 10:50am CDT (1550 GMT). The contract earlier fell to $5.90-1/2, its lowest price since May 31.

Poor overseas demand for US supplies hung over the market, analysts said. Traders also assessed ongoing efforts to preserve exports from war-torn Ukraine.

In CBOT soybeans, futures were down ½-cent at $13.59 a bushel, after touching their lowest level since Aug. 23 at $13.52-1/2 a bushel. Corn slipped 3-1/2 cents to $4.82-3/4 a bushel.

Soy futures were constrained by expectations for large supplies from South America and as traders awaited a clearer picture of the upcoming U.S. harvest, analysts said.

The Buenos Aires grains exchange on Thursday forecast Argentina's 2023/2024 soybean crop at 50 million metric tons, more than double last year's level.

"The pressure (on CBOT prices) was partly due to improved U.S. weather forecasts and optimistic crop forecasts in South America," brokerage Copenhagen Merchants said in a note.


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