Frontrunner

Earlier this week Statistics Canada (StatsCan) updated its country’s wheat crop estimate, now seeing the crop falling to 22.95 million tonnes. This compares to 35.18 million tonnes last year and, if realised, will be Canada’s smallest crop for 14 years. Persistent excessive heat and dryness for much of the growing season has slashed yield potential for Canada; one of the world’s major wheat exporters. In its August World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) cut its Canadian wheat estimate to 24 million tonnes from 31.5 million tonnes in July. Last season, Canada exported 27.5 million tonnes of wheat and ranked third in wheat volumes shipped, behind Russia and the EU and just ahead of the US. This season’s crop losses will have a major impact on world wheat trade flows and has been one of the primary bullish price drivers for wheat markets. US spring wheat futures are 60% up on the year as a result of tightening quality wheat supplies.

In contrast to UK feed wheat futures, the Paris futures market has a milling standard specification. Under normal circumstances traders may elect to deliver physical wheat against their futures sales at harvest or buy futures as a hedge against milling wheat export sales they make. However, the adverse French weather and delayed harvesting has seen lower than average specific weights, particularly in northern France, and has left traders unable to source wheat of a sufficient standard to meet the specification required for export (78kgs) or the specification required for futures wheat (76kgs).This has forced traders with short futures positions to buy back their contracts rather than deliver physical wheat. Last week, this resulted in the nearby September position hitting a €30/t premium to the next December position and saw prices rise to their highest level since 2013.

In its August World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, the United States Department of Agriculture surprised markets last week with larger-than-expected production cuts for some of the world's major wheat and corn producers. After the report was released, strong wheat futures surged a further 5% to multi-year highs. However, fresh selling and speculators banking profits gathered pace throughout this week and wiped out the short-lived spike in prices.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published its August World Agricultural Supply and Demands Estimates (WASDE) report on Thursday and presented some bullish surprises. Futures markets reacted with notable gains and US, Paris and London wheat futures all rallied to set new contract highs.Having taken an overly conservative view of potential crop losses in its July estimates, this time the USDA made some aggressive production cuts. This was particularly the case for Russia where the USDA estimates the wheat crop will be as low as 72.5 million tonnes. This compares with its July estimate of 85 million tonnes. Earlier this week, the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR) lowered its production estimate to 77 million tonnes, reflecting poorer than expected yields.Notable production losses are also seen as a result of the drought that has ravaged Canada; the USDA sees Canadian production falling to 24 million tonnes, compared to its previous July estimate of 31.5 million tonnes. In contrast, both Ukraine and Australia are seen producing larger crops than estimated in July at 33 million tonnes (up 3 million tonnes) and 30 million tonnes (up 1.5 million tonnes) respectively.

This week, the UK’s oilseed rape harvest has continued making progress further up the country where weather has allowed. As mentioned last week, yield reports seem to be improving as harvest makes its way north. An increase on the widely estimated 3.3t/ha may well be seen before harvest with numbers as high as 5t/ha being reported in the Lincolnshire area.

Wheat long-holders in many areas can still achieve attractive premiums for old crop wheat as the market scrambles to find stocks to service late-season demand. In Scotland and the North of England particularly, wheat prices that are £30-40/t above harvest levels should encourage most sheds to be emptied as the country enters a new crop year with bare boards and minimal carryover. As wheat harvest started in the south this week, most merchants and consumers will breathe a sigh of relief as we come to the end of one of the smallest UK crop years in recent history.