U.S. corn and soybean futures fell to their lowest levels in nearly four years on Thursday as forecasts for cool, rainy weather in the Corn Belt boosted yield expectations, analysts said.
Glen Loyns, trader and general manager for JGL Commodities in Moose Jaw, Sask., said while the recent heat and dryness has reduced yield expectations, prospects of a decent harvest are still putting pressure on prices.
Russia has maintained its official grain harvest forecast for this year at 132 million metric tons despite adverse weather conditions across many grain-producing regions, said Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev, who oversees the agriculture sector.
Chicago December corn futures settled below $4 and hit a contract low on Wednesday as favorable U.S. crop prospects weighed and farmers began selling their hefty supplies of old crop corn, traders said.
A lack of any major weather concerns kept soybean and corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade trending lower during the last week of July, with many months hitting contract lows.
Fields across Manitoba saw variable amounts of precipitation as crops continued to develop under hotter temperatures during the week ended July 28, according to the province’s weekly crop report.
Chicago soybean prices plunged on Monday to the lowest since October 2020, as forecasts for rain in the U.S. crop belt alleviated concerns over the potential impact on crop yields from hot and dry weather.
Global shipping bottlenecks appear to be easing and could make way for lower shipping costs, though fuel prices remain a wildcard according to analysis from Farm Credit Canada (FCC).