Gold on MCX settled up 0.42% at 29016 buoyed by a weaker dollar on tepid economic data from the United States and as investors turned to safe-haven assets on worries over geopolitical tensions. Supporting gold was geopolitical tension sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump who on Sunday held out the possibility of using trade as a lever to secure Chinese cooperation against North Korea. A measure of U.S. manufacturing activity retreated from a 2-1/2 year high in March amid a decline in production and an inventory drawdown. Hedge funds and money managers raised their net long position in COMEX gold by 33,179 to 99,150 lots in the week to March 28, the highest in more than three weeks.

Cotton on MCX settled down -0.24% at 21040 on higher supply in the domestic market. India's 2016-17 cotton imports are set to jump more than a third from a year ago to a record 3 million bales as the rupee's rise makes buying overseas cheaper, senior industry officials and executives said. The strong rupee - now at its highest level in 18 months - has also braked cotton exports from the world's biggest producer of the fibre, a trend that has helped rival suppliers in Brazil, the United States and some African countries boost their own exports. That total of 3 million bales would be 36 percent more than the 2.2 million bales imported in the 2015-16 crop year, with stocks coming mainly from African countries, the United States, Brazil and Australia.

Cardamom on MCX settled down -0.68% at 1303.8 following reports of increasing arrivals of the spices from Guatemala, though domestic supplies are weak. Despite estimates of lower output and tight stocks, cardamom prices are ruling easy due to higher imports from Guatemala. Prices remained under pressure due to cheaper imports, subdued exports demand and stock liquidation by stockists and planters. India exported 1,625 ton cardamom during Apr-Sept versus 2,026 ton a year ago. Harvesting is nearly complete and hence arrivals are unlikely to pick up. Exporters and north Indian dealers have slowed down because of the higher prices.

Maize on NCDEX settled up 0.57% at 1417 tracking firmness in spot demand and overseas prices. The USDA data showed weekly U.S. corn export sales of 716,000 tonnes for shipment during the current marketing season, below estimates for 900,000 to 1.2 million tonnes. Farmers may harvest at an estimated 14.32-million tonnes of maize in 2017‚ which represents the third-biggest maize crop on record. Favourable weather conditions have enabled producers to increase the area planted to summer crops‚ with maize output now expected to be 84% higher in 2017 than in 2016. In its second estimate for the year on Tuesday‚ the Crop Estimates Committee said it had revised the maize output estimate by 2.91% from the first estimate.

Jeera on NCDEX settled down -0.28% at 18120 on late selling after prices earlier gains on a lower output forecast and strong demand from overseas buyers. Exporters are likely to fetch better realisation due to the quality of the jeera crop. A recent assessment by the Federation of Indian Spices Stakeholders in Udaipur, Rajasthan, has forecast India’s cumin seed production at 5.83 million bags of 40 kg each (233,280 tonnes) this year against 4.20 million bags of 40 kg each (168,320 tonnes) last year. The latest spell of rainfall last week is estimated to have spoiled 30 per cent of the standing crop. Production estimates for 2016-17 are lower due to a decline in the jeera acreage in Gujarat.

Turmeric on NCDEX settled down -0.5% at 6376 as pressure continues as turmeric output is expected to be bumper as not only the acreage was higher but weather remained favourable. In coming days, arrivals are expected to increase which could put pressure over prices. New crop arrivals have started in all the major producing centres of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Odisha. Production in the ongoing season is expected to increase mainly on higher sowing area and favourable weather conditions in Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh etc. On the export front, country exported about 82,115 tons during April-December period, up by 28% compared to last year exports of 64,105 tons. Though, some gains were capped on heavy arrivals from the producing belts.

Rmseed on NCDEX settled down -0.68% at 3953 tracking weakness in spot demand on higher stockpiles in local mandis. New mustard seed arrivals across the country totaled at 535,000 bags as compared to 350,000 in the previous session and crop quality is better than last year. India is expected to produce around 6.5-7 million tonnes (mt) of rape mustard seeds in 2016-17 as compared to 5.8 mt produced in 2015-16 due to higher acreage and improving productivity. The carry-forward stock from the previous season was around 0.15 mt. The Ministry of Agriculture expects 8.5 mt of mustard seeds to be produced in the current rabi season against 6.8 mt a year ago, as per its 4th advanced estimates.

Crude palm oil ended with flat node amid weak demand in export market. Malaysia palm oil exports during Mar 1-25 fell by around 1.2% compared to a month earlier on subdued demand from China, data showed. Malaysia palm oil exports fell to 896,621 tons during Mar 1-25 compared to 907,078 tons for the same period a month ago, DowJones reported citing data from Intertek, a private surveyor. Mistry expected price to test MAY 3,000 in April-May on lower stock and slow pace of recovery in production. Mistry maintains forecast that 3rd-month Bursa Malaysia Derivatives futures at MYR 2,500 per ton, or FOB olein at $620 per ton, are strong supports in the fourth quarter of 2017.

Ref.Soya oil on NCDEX settled down -0.43% at 623.1 on hope of increasing supply in near term and higher stockpiles. Prices of oil were down on higher supply as inventories with traders and stockiest is sufficient and they have opted to buy as per requirements to cater retail demand. Moreover, soyoil stock at various ports of the country totalled at March 20 at 121,000 tons as compared to 94,000 tons a week ago, which is sufficient to meet the demand. According to data released by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA), India's edible oil imports rose 15.8% on year to 1.23 mt in February. The government has cut the base import price of soyoil by $9 per tonnes for second half of March. The base import price of crude soyoil is now at $805 from $879 during Feb first half.

Soyabean on NCDEX settled down -0.17% at 2941 on higher arrivals in local mandis and on subdued demand for soymeal from poultry sectors. Arrivals in the local mandis were estimated at 130,000-133,000 bags today as compared to 50,000-65,000 bags on the previous day. Demand from crushers is just to meet the immediate requirement due to negative crush margins. Demand for soymeal is also weak from domestic buyers due to lean demand for eggs and broilers during summers. Soymeal demand from poultry feed manufacturer is reducing at higher level as most of the poultry farmers are facing decline in profit margin if they procure soymeal at higher level.

Menthaoil on MCX settled down -0.23% at 992.9 because of fall in demand in the domestic spot market. Further, ample stocks position on higher supplies from producing belts of Chandausi in Uttar Pradesh, too influenced mentha oil prices. Production was lower due to un-favorable weather conditions during the crop’s harvesting period. Traders and stockists in major market of UP maintain that the near term price outlook will be bullish. This is because nearly 14500 MT of mint products were exported in six months of the current financial year. Hence mosttraders feel that exportdemand forthe complete financial year can be between27000 and 29000 MT Last year exports were reported lower at 23000 MT.

Aluminium on MCX settled down -0.35% at 126.8 on profit booking tracking LME aluminium closed down 0.5 percent at $1,962.50 a tonne, but still posted its biggest quarterly gain in 6-1/2 years, up nearly 16 percent. The metal hit its highest since December 2014 on Thursday ahead of the Chinese manufacturing data. Meanwhile LME stocks of aluminum sank below the 2 million-tonne level earlier this month and at a current 1,886,400 tonnes are at their lowest since December 2008. Excluding the metal that is awaiting load-out, the on-warrant total of 1,003,275 tonnes is the lowest since May 2008. Japan's quarterly premiums, which act as a benchmark across much of the Asian region, are in part a reflection of local market conditions.

Nickel on MCX settled down -0.31% at 651 after LME prices dropped by 1 percent at $10,030 on prospects of rising Indonesian supply. Indonesia's state-owned miner Aneka Tambang (Antam) has been granted an initial approval to export up to 2.7 million tonnes of nickel ore over the next 12 months, a mining ministry official said. There was news that 4 Indonesian nickel ore mining firms are applying for ore export quotas, and Antam got the initial clearance for Indonesian nickel ore exports.

Zinc on MCX settled down -2.88% at 178.85 as LME zinc finished the day down 3.1 percent at $2,770 due to concerns over failure in output cut by zinc smelters. Zinc prices standouts among a brightening outlook for base metals, with supply constraints and China-driven demand set to lift prices in coming months. Zinc mines in Huayuan County, Hunan Province were forced to slash or suspend production recently since the region stepped up environmental protection. Some mines that had passed inspections were also affected by this round of environmental protection and will delay restarts until late April or early May.

Copper on MCX settled down -0.79% at 380.75 as the end of a strike at Peru's biggest copper mine dampened fears of reduced supply that had driven the metal higher this quarter. Activity in China's manufacturing sector unexpectedly expanded at the fastest pace in nearly five years in March, adding to evidence that the world's second-largest economy has gained momentum early this year, an official survey showed. Freeport McMoRan Inc's Indonesian unit is close to reaching a deal that would allow the world's biggest publicly listed copper producer to temporarily resume concentrate exports, Indonesia's mining minister said.

Naturalgas on MCX settled down -0.68% at 205.8 as investors began to contemplate how much natural gas will be added to storage as spring begins. Meanwhile, traders continued to monitor shifting early-spring weather forecasts. Weather systems will track across the country the next several days with rain, snow, and thunderstorms, but with limited cold air as they play out spring-like, according to forecasters at NatGasWeather.com. There remains potential for a bit colder system from April 7 through the 10th and will be dependent on how a weather system tracking over the southern U.S. phases with a cold blast over the Midwest. Total natural gas in storage currently stands at 2.049 trillion cubic feet, according to the U.S.

Crudeoil on MCX settled up 0.46% at 3284 on a growing sense that OPEC and non-member Russia would extend their production cut, seeking to drive the market higher. The U.S. energy department released supply and demand figures for January, the latest month available, saying the country's oil demand for that month was up 0.9 percent at 19.234 million barrels per day, while production rose 60,000 bpd to 8.835 million barrels. Energy services firm Baker Hughes said U.S. oil rigs increased by 10 to 662 in the week, making the first quarter the strongest for oil rig additions since mid-2011.

Silver on MCX settled up 0.42% at 42326 buoyed by a weaker dollar, after the release of mostly negative economic data while uncertainty over the outcome of the European elections continued to increase demand for the metals. Prices remained steady with global political uncertainty, the upcoming elections in Europe in particular, seen supporting prices of the metal, driving the metal to its best quarter in a year. Prices recovered from a dip earlier in the session, as the dollar slumped to lows, after the latest batch of economic data revealed a slowdown in personal spending and consumer sentiment. The University of Michigan said its consumer sentiment index slipped to 96.9 in March from an initial estimate of 97.6, which was well below forecast of an unchanged reading.

Gold on MCX settled up 0.28% at 28742 as uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump's tax and investment plans and elections in Europe fuelled demand for bullion as a safe haven. Gold rebounded from early losses as the dollar turned flat after a Federal Reserve official's seemingly dovish remarks and uninspiring data on the U.S. economy tamped down the sanguine mood from earlier in the week. Earlier in the session, gold had dropped by the most in over than three weeks. It failed to break resistance at its 200-day moving average, triggering early technical selling. An index of world stocks dipped on Friday as investors locked in profits, also boosting gold. Data showing the largest annual increase in U.S.

Cotton on MCX settled down -0.65% at 21310 as traders are avoiding major buying as cotton price that was increasing steeply until the end of February, has become firm during the last 20 days. As the gap in the international and domestic prices has narrowed down, now imported cotton appears to be attractive due to better yarn realisation, productivity and quality. Also traders are eyeing on muted speculative activity ahead of a federal acreage report due next week. From International side Cotton closed higher after holding Support above $76 as market was anticipating another strong week of export demand. Cotton remains mostly a demand story as US export demand has been stronger than any trade expectations so far this year.