Sugar fell in New York for the third time in four sessions on renewed concern that output will top forecasts in India, the world’s second-biggest grower. Orange juice dropped to the lowest price in more than three months.
Soybeans rose the most in a week on speculation that an end to the global recession will boost demand for the oilseed to make food and animal feed. Economies will recover at various speeds, led by China and India, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said. The Asian countries are the world’s biggest consumers of vegetable oil made from soybeans. U.S. payrolls in March rose the most since March 2007, signaling a rebound in the job market.
Corn rose for a second straight day on speculation that a slump in prices this year may stall as farmers begin to plant crops in the U.S., the world’s largest grower and exporter.
Wheat prices posted the biggest gain in almost five weeks as some hedge funds and traders unwound near-record bets on a price slump. Speculative short positions, or wagers on declining prices, more than doubled in the first quarter, Commodity Futures Trading Commission data show. So-called net-shorts were 56,716 contracts in the week ended March 30, compared with a record 60,457 on Feb. 9.
Cattle futures rose for the third straight day on bets that U.S. meatpacker demand for animals will increase as profit margins improve. Hogs fell from a 12- year high.
Wheat fell to a five-month low after a government report showed U.S. growers may plant more than estimated.
Sugar prices will extend a slump, following the biggest quarterly plunge since 1985, as Brazil and India, the world’s largest producers, harvest bumper crops next season, analysts and traders said.
Soybeans rose for a fourth straight day after a U.S. government report showed export demand for the oilseed and its products increased last week.
Sugar rebounded from a seven-month low on speculation that managers of hedge funds and index funds slowed sales after reducing their net-long positions, or bets prices would rise, to the lowest level of the year.
Corn rose for a second day after the National Oceanic Atmospheric and Administration said the U.S., the world’s largest exporter of the crop, faces potential “historic flooding” in the coming weeks.