PARIS: Euronext wheat edged down on Friday and was heading for a weekly loss as rain-boosted prospects for northern hemisphere harvests capped prices.

September milling wheat on Euronext was down 1.00 euro, or 0.5%, at 212.75 euros ($259.00) a tonne by 1607 GMT.

The contract had steadied after a four-week low of 209.75 euros on Wednesday but was down more than 2% compared with last Friday’s close.

Chicago corn, which has led a rally in grain markets in recent weeks, also eased on Friday.

“The crop situation has improved around the world,” a French trader said. “We’ve also had investment funds cutting positions and farmers selling a bit.”

Rain in Europe has eased concern about a dry start to spring while a crop tour in Kansas projected record 2021 yields for the top US winter wheat growing state.

In France, the condition of soft wheat was unchanged for a second week in a row, data from farm office FranceAgriMer showed, after recent rain eased early spring dryness. In Germany, the European Union’s second-largest wheat producer after France, good crop weather and uncertainty about Russian supplies were creating optimism about new-crop exports.

Russia’s agriculture ministry on Friday forecast smaller wheat production than last year, although it also projected higher overall grain exports. Standard 12% protein wheat for September delivery in Hamburg was offered for sale little changed at around 3 euros under Paris December.