Commodities
Biofuels Update: Major Feedstocks Mixed as Crude Oil Drops Further
Malaysian palm oil and Chicago soybean oil dipped on Tuesday along with crude oil, while soybeans edged higher on Chinese demand hopes.The July soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade rose 0.27% to $11.19 per bushel. The July CBOT soybean oil contract eased 0.67% to 70.67 cents per pound in early trade.The market remained hopeful that China will buy more US soybeans, after the US Department of Agriculture last week reported a sale of 132,000 metric tons for 2026/27 delivery.However, ample supply availability and good crop progress in the US continued to cap gains.Soybeans' emergence rate across 18 US states averaged 93% in the week ended June 21, up from 89% a year ago and higher than the five-year average of 90%, USDA data showed.Blooming rate was at 9%, ahead of last year's 7% and the five-year average of 6%.The agency rated 66% of soybean crop as good-to-excellent, in line with the data recorded last week and in the prior year."Ample rainfall across the Midwest continues to support crop development, and expectations of a bumper harvest remain a persistent overhang on prices," price reporting agency MySteel said.In Brazil, soybean planting area is projected to rise 0.9% from the previous cycle to a record of about 49 million hectares, media outlets reported, citing data from the consulting firm AgRural.The outlook reportedly represents the 20th consecutive annual increase in acreage, despite higher production costs and concerns over the El Nino weather phenomenon.In Asia, Malaysian palm oil futures retreated on Tuesday, moving in tandem with soybean oil and crude oil, as traders took profits after prices reached nearly three-week highs and as the local currency firmed.The Bursa Malaysia Derivatives' July crude palm oil contract ended a four-session rally and eased 0.22% to 4,600 Malaysian ringgit ($1,108.17) per metric ton. The August crude palm oil contract edged lower by 0.28% to 4,628 ringgit/mt.A stronger local currency dampened export competitiveness, following a 0.25% recovery against the US dollar on Tuesday. Malaysian ringgit has so far weakened more than 4% this month.Nonetheless, for the June 1-20 period, Malaysian shipments have reportedly risen between 19.1% and 25% from the previous month's levels, according to preliminary estimates by cargo surveyors.Malaysian cargoes may also receive a boost once Indonesia's exportable supplies reduce with the national rollout of a higher biodiesel blend of 50%, or B50. The country currently blends palm oil with diesel at a 40% ratio.Indonesia looks set to begin the July 1 implementation of B50, following remarks from Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia that B50 road tests have reportedly shown positive results.Operators in the mining sector and other heavy industries, however, argue that higher palm oil blending may further exacerbate performance degradation of engines, which has already been observed with B40 diesel, Indonesia Investments reported.Going forward, tighter fundamentals are expected to support the palm oil market, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, particularly with rising biofuel use in Indonesia and weather-related supply risks.The council expects crude palm oil prices to range between 4,400 ringgit/mt and 4,650 ringgit/mt in July. Iceberg X trader David Ng, as cited by Oilworld, projects prices to hold above 4,600 ringgit/mt.For this week, futures are likely to trade in a rangebound manner but with a firm bias, according to financial services firm Phillip Capital."However, softer crude oil prices and profit-taking after recent gains may cap further upside," it said.Meanwhile, July ethanol prices on the NYMEX dropped 1.61% to $1.83 per gallon on Monday.