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ICE Canola Turns Lower on CBOT Soybean Declines

| 1 min read

By Dwayne Klassen

By Dwayne Klassen, Resource News International

January 20, 2010

Winnipeg – Canola contracts on the ICE Futures Canada platform were trading at lower levels at midday after starting the day off on a firmer footing. Early gains were linked to oversold price sentiment and the weakness in the Canadian dollar, market watchers said.

Some early strength was also linked to steady exporter demand as well as a small pick up in domestic crusher demand, brokers said.

Gains in European rapeseed futures overnight had also provided some minor underlying support for canola.

However, with the start of the North American day session, CBOT soybean and soyoil futures pushed lower, which in turn took canola off its highs and sparked some selling that took most contracts down, traders said.

Bearish chart signals also triggered some speculative liquidation orders that contributed to the weakness in canola.

Light, but steady hedge selling by elevator companies, helped to undermine canola futures. The favourable weather conditions for the development of the South American soybean crop helped to weigh on canola futures, brokers said.

"The only thing that is keeping canola from posting sharp losses is the huge drop in the value of the Canadian dollar," a broker said. He said the drop in the currency was said to have stimulated some fresh commercial demand from both the export and domestic sectors.

There were an estimated 3,187 canola contracts traded at 10:37 CST. Of the contracts traded, 756 were spread related.

There were no western barley futures traded as of 10:37 CST.