The USDA weekly crop progress report was out last night. The US corn crop is estimated at 23% harvested. Corn condition rating was adjusted a little but the same net result in the G/E rating, last week 44/9 – 53% G/E, this week 43/10 – 53% G/E.
US soybeans were also pegged at 23% harvested and rated at 52% G/E, an improvement in the G/E rating of 2pts. 18% of the US cotton crop was said to have been picked and the crop rated at just 30% G/E, unchanged from last week. Sorghum is 35% harvested and rated at 41% G/E, back 1pt on last week.
The US is also sowing their winter wheat crop now, that is estimated at 40% sown. Most states are pretty close to the average sowing pace but there has been a few delays in the far north and eastern corn belt, but nothing to really worry about as yet.

There are a few more boats heading towards Ukrainian Black Sea ports to load. Insurance is now available and with the last couple of boats making it through without any holes in them there is growing confidence that this new route will continue to see grain move out of Ukraine via the Black Sea in the mid term. This has seen values for wheat and barley out of the region fall a little in recent days.

Canadian cash bids for durum out of SE Saskatchewan remain relatively flat. News that export volume out of Turkey may be limited from October supported the durum market, as did news that an estimated 50% of the Kazakhstan durum crop may be sprouted. Italy continue to import durum wheat from Russia, Turkey and Canada. Turkish millers now happy to blend soft wheats with durum to fill export orders for processed goods into N.Africa.