site.btaSofia Commodity Exchange Sees Stable Food Prices and Mixed Signals in Grain Trading

At the Sofia Commodity Exchange (SCE), grain trading saw a gap between seller and buyer expectations for milling wheat and demand-only interest for feed wheat, while staple food prices remained stable with active trading in canned goods, and propane-butane transactions were concluded over the past week, according to an analysis by SCE experts.

On the Sofia Commodity Exchange, new offers emerged in grain trading during the week. Sellers quoted milling wheat at EUR 190 per tonne, while buyers were at EUR 175 per tonne. For feed wheat, only demand was registered, with prices ranging from EUR 165 to EUR 180 per tonne.

Prices of staple food products remained stable, with opening price levels unchanged. Increased supply of canned goods led to numerous transactions, including strawberry jam at EUR 0.72 per kilogram, rosehip marmalade at EUR 0.75 per kilogram, sweet corn at EUR 0.50 per kilogram, pickled cucumbers at EUR 0.46 per kilogram, and diced peeled tomatoes at EUR 0.52 per kilogram.

In the industrial goods segment on the Sofia Commodity Exchange, transactions were recorded for propane-butane gas at prices between EUR 720 and EUR 740 per 1,000 litres.

Diverging price movements were observed in global grain markets over the past week, according to the analysis by the SCE experts. Wheat proved more resilient than corn, while sugar prices declined due to harvest dynamics and developments in the ethanol market. The main drivers behind these trends include geopolitics, weather conditions, supply expectations, and policy-related trade flows, the exchange noted.

Wheat was the strongest performer within the grain complex this week, supported by short covering, weather uncertainty, and tightening supply sentiment in certain regions, according to SCE experts. Futures for milling wheat with next-month delivery on the Chicago exchange were traded in the range of USD 213–219 per tonne, while on Euronext they stood at USD 228–230 per tonne.

Corn prices remained weaker, as the market continued to factor in ample inventories, slow export pace, and close monitoring of the planting season in the United States and South America. Overall, grains remain in a phase of “strong supply but weather-sensitive,” meaning that any upward price movements are still approached with caution, the analysts added. Corn futures for next-month delivery in Chicago were traded between USD 173–176 per tonne, while on Euronext they ranged from USD 239–241 per tonne.

Sugar prices came under pressure due to expectations of a strong sugarcane harvest in Brazil’s Centre-South region and a higher sugar mix, pointing to comfortable supply later in the season. At the same time, rising energy prices are prompting some mills to shift toward ethanol production, which could reduce sugar output in the short term and provide intermittent support to the sugar market. Raw sugar futures in New York were traded at around USD 297–306 per tonne, while refined sugar futures in London stood at approximately USD 411–424 per tonne, the Sofia Commodity Exchange analysis said.