EU wheat rallies as French crop rating plunges
Updates with close
PARIS, July 19 (Reuters) -European wheat futures climbed 4% on Friday in heavy volumesas a steep decline in French crop conditions heightened concerns about a poor harvest and encouraged prices to rebound from a four-month low.
Front-month September wheat BL2U4 on Euronext settledup 4.1% at 223.75 euros ($243.55)a metric ton, after reaching a one-week high at 224.75 euros.
The rally drew technical impetus as futures filled a chart gap created during a slide on Monday.
The front-month contract struck a four-month low of 211.50 euros on Tuesday, pressured by U.S. and Russian harvest supply.
Prices found support mid-week as major importers Egypt and Algeria held tenders, though reaction was tempered by stiff export competition from Black Sea origins.
Friday's news of a sharp decline in a weekly rating of French wheat crops then encouraged some participants to cover short positions before the weekend.
"The French conditions report with the five point fall woke everyone up," a futures dealer said. "It's a typical move for a Friday."
An estimated 52% of French soft wheat was in good or excellent condition by July 15, down from 57% a week earlier and the lowest score for the period since 2016, data from farm office FranceAgriMer showed.
The data put attention back on the rain-hit French crop as a hot spell this week is set to bring the slow-moving harvest to major northern grain belts.
Repeated showers in France and other parts of Europe have also raised concern about wheat quality in this year's harvest.
Traders have reported some weak readings for test weights in early French wheat results but other milling quality indicators appeared more satisfactory.
News that consultancy IKAR has trimmed its 2024 Russian grain production and export forecasts also shifted attention back towards mixed crop conditions in Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter.
Chicago wheat Wv1 rallied tooas it also moved away from a four-month low struck this week. GRA/
Euronext will amend published figures for open interest in its commodity futures after a switch to in-house clearing this week led to incorrect data being posted, it said on Friday.
($1 = 0.9187 euros)
Reporting by Gus Trompiz; editing by David Evans and Louise Heavens
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
