MarketsFarm — The ICE Futures canola market held rangebound during the week ended Wednesday, looking for some direction.
“None of these markets are flashing any strong signals that there’s much going on… they’re waiting for fresh news and there isn’t much around right now,” said Ken Ball of PI Financial in Winnipeg.
While uncertainty over the size of this year’s drought-stricken Canadian canola crop remains supportive, Ball noted that canola is very expensive compared to other oilseeds and the market has done its job of rationing demand.
Read Also
Pulse Weekly: Talk arises of India ending duty-free period
With harvest underway across the Canadian Prairies rumblings has been felt from the other side of the world, specifically in regards yellow peas. There have been recent media reports stating the Indian government is under growing domestic pressure to end its duty-free period on yellow pea imports.
Exports are already down substantially on the year, although they should pick up somewhat as more new-crop supplies become available.
Looking forward, canola prices “will have to be expensive, but expensive is a relative word,” said Ball, adding that the direction in the canola market will depend on what happens in soyoil.
If soyoil prices fall, canola could also break lower but still be high-priced compared to the product values.
Beyond the North American harvest, the big thing on the horizon is Brazil, according to Ball. Farmers there are just starting to seed the next soybean crop, with any weather issues likely to provide support while improving conditions would be bearish.
— Phil Franz-Warkentin reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.
