Paris wheat futures closed little changed on Wednesday, as profit-taking in Chicago brought the European market back from earlier contract highs linked to worries over hot, dry weather. December milling wheat, the most active contract on the Paris Euronext market, settled unchanged on the day at 202.75 euros a tonne.
In morning trade it had extended a rally to reach a contract high of 208.25 euros, which also marked a new six-month high on a continuation chart.
Concern that a heatwave in France will further stress crops after a dry spring in some grain belts continued to support prices, which also initially saw spillover support from sharp gains in Chicago on Tuesday.
Wednesday saw record temperatures for the time of year either side of 40 degrees Celsius in several parts of France, and forecasts called for the heatwave to continue until early next week.
The hot, dry conditions have sparked a number of fires during harvesting of barley, destroying hundreds of hectares.
Euronext maize and rapeseed futures also set contract highs, supported by weather worries and Tuesday's surge in Chicago.
New-crop November maize rose as much as 9 percent in opening trade to 205.00 euros, before giving up most of its gains to settle up 1.3 percent at 190.50 euros.
Traders said maize crops could be most at risk from the heatwave as they are near the critical pollination stage in France.
In Germany, higher prices caused by the surge in the benchmark Paris market this week sparked more farmer selling but purchase interest was restrained.
"Outright prices are much higher because of the Paris rise in past days and this is giving buyers cause to stop and pause while people consider what the impact of dry and hot weather on the harvest will be," one German trader said.
"Cash market prices still involve premiums over Paris rather than discounts and this is also reducing purchase interest."
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