CHICAGO, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) soybean futures closed higher on Thursday, with prospects for a trade deal between the United States and China underpinning values.
The most active soybean contract for May delivery went up 1.5 cents, or 0.17 percent to close at 8.805 dollars per bushel. July corn delivery was up 0.25 cent, or 0.07 percent to close at 3.6725 dollars per bushel. July wheat delivery was down 2 cents, or 0.44 percent to close at 4.4825 dollars per bushel.
CBOT soybean futures edged higher on technical moves, with uncertainty about U.S. planting weather outlooks and prospects for a trade deal with top global soy buyer China boosting the market.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday reported net export sales of U.S. soybeans in the week ending April 11 at 382,100 tonnes, toward the low end of a range of trade expectations.
CBOT corn futures rose slightly as pressure from ample U.S. and global grain supplies offsets support from potential U.S. Midwest planting delays and the fact that commodity funds already hold a huge net short position.
Wheat futures were hovering near a one-month low this week, as a broadly favorable harvest outlook in the northern hemisphere weighed on prices.
As for weather forecast for agricultural crop, a set of strong storms expected to last for days is hammering most of Arkansas, parts of southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois, and western Indiana, according to the National Weather Service. Enditem