Euronext wheat eased on Friday, curbed by a stronger euro as traders awaited clearer indications on harvests and a Black Sea shipping corridor from war-torn Ukraine, dealers said.

September milling wheat BL2U3 on Paris-based Euronext was down 0.6% at 231.50 euros ($253.75) a metric ton by 1603 GMT.

After being unsettled mid-week by Moscow and Kyiv accusing each other of planning to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, traders were watching to see if discussions to renew the grain corridor from Ukraine would overcome Russian objections.

The presidents of Ukraine and Turkey will discuss on Friday the potential extension of the Black Sea grain deal, a senior Turkish official said.

A sharp rise in the euro against the dollar, following a smaller than anticipated monthly U.S. jobs reading, underscored export challenges for western European wheat. FRX/

“Low prices for Russian wheat and also of Romanian wheat are a bearish factor, but with the market facing some uncertain developments,” one German trader said.

“Ukraine’s shipping corridor agreement expires in just over a week and no one really knows if an extension will happen.”

In Germany, standard 12% protein wheat for September delivery in Hamburg was offered for sale at a premium of about 0.5 euros under the Euronext December BL2Z3 contract, with buyers seeking about 1.5 euros under.

Demand was generally light in the face of Black Sea competition, and low water levels on the Rhine were adding costs, traders said.

In France, traders were waiting for harvesting to accelerate in hot weather this weekend after mid-week storms.

French farmers had harvested 10% of this year’s soft wheat crop by July 3, farm office FranceAgriMer said on Friday.

Grain handler Soufflet Agriculture said in a separate harvest update that it had seen good early wheat yields and quality, but that rapeseed yields were disappointing following bumper levels last year.

In Poland, prices rose on slow farmers’ sales and uncertainty about size and quality of the new crop.

Exporters’ purchase prices for 12.5% protein wheat rose 5 zloty this week to around 1,015 zloty (227 euros) a metric ton for July/August delivery to ports.

“There is still too little rain in several regions and the fields with spring grains, including wheat, are sometimes not looking good,” a Polish trader said, adding there was little export demand for the new crop.

Source: Reuters