Chicago soybeans slid for a second session on Friday with a strong dollar weighing on prices, although crop-damaging floods in Argentina kept a floor under the market. The dollar recouped earlier losses on Friday while stocks were little changed as investors refrained from big bets ahead of Trump’s inauguration as US President.
Soybeans are drawing support from the threat of rain-damage to crops in Argentina, the world’s third largest soybean exporter and the top supplier of soymeal and soyoil. Argentina will harvest 52.9 MT of soy this season, the Rosario grains exchange said on Thursday, cutting its previous 54.4 MT forecast due to bad weather.
US producers are poised to plant 90.52 million acres of soybeans later this year, topping the all-time high set in 2016 by about 7 million acres, a recent Farm Futures survey indicates.
Wheat fell for a third consecutive session on concerns over slowing demand after prices earlier this week climbed to their highest since August.
Weekly Export Sales-
(based on reports from exporters for the period Jan 6-12, 2017)
Actual Expected
Corn 1,368 900-1,200
Soybeans 980 400-600
Wheat 243 250-450
Export sales numbers for corn were up noticeably from the previous week and 69 percent from the prior 4-week average; soybeans were also up from the previous week and 22 percent from the prior 4-week average. Wheat was down 38 percent from the previous week and 33 percent down from the prior 4-week average.
The dollar held its gains on Friday as investors braced for US President-elect Donald Trump to be sworn in, while the Euro rebounded as the European Central Bank held policy steady. A stronger dollar makes US agricultural producers uncompetitive in the world market, giving advantage to rival exporters in South America and the Black Sea region.
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