Euronext wheat futures rose on Friday, tracking a renewed rally in Chicago where forecasts of more rain in US grain belts fuelled crop concerns ahead of a holiday weekend.
However, chart resistance and favourable crop prospects in Europe and the Black Sea region capped gains on Euronext.
Front-month September milling wheat on the Paris-based Euronext exchange settled 2.50 euros, or 1.4%, up at 178.00 euros ($199) a tonne, after earlier equalling Tuesday's near seven-week high of 178.25 euros.
December wheat on Euronext also matched a seven-week top of 181.75 euros set on Tuesday but like the front-month contract failed to break higher.
Chicago wheat climbed more than 3% in US trading, buoyed by a one-year high for corn as forecasts for more rain next week deepened concerns about delays to spring planting as well as damage to maturing winter wheat.
US markets will be closed on Monday for the Memorial Day holiday, encouraging some grain investors to cover positions in the event of adverse weather, traders said.
"Market participants are waiting to see the extent of the problems with US corn planting," Nathan Cordier of consultancy Agritel said.
Grain markets were also assessing the potential impact of a new US government aid plan to help farmers affected by a trade dispute with China.
The announcement of the plan on Thursday initially pressured grain futures by raising the prospect of farmers attempting to plant crop despite torrential rain in order to secure subsidies.
But latest rain forecasts made some traders cautious about the viability of the plan, which is yet to be voted by Congress.
Price sentiment in Europe remained tempered by a favourable supply outlook.
Consultancy SovEcon said late on Thursday it estimated 2019/20 Russian wheat exports at 38.2 million tonnes, above a government projection of 36 million earlier in the day.
In France, farm office FranceAgriMer estimated in a weekly report on Friday that 79% of French soft wheat crops were in good or excellent condition by May 20, unchanged from a week earlier and also in line with the year-ago rating.
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