HRW wheat bids steady to firmer

Spot basis bids for hard red winter wheat in the US Plains were steady to firmer Wednesday with merchants working to pull in new wheat. The basis firmed 5 to 15 cents in several locations in Kansas, the top US wheat-growing state.
Protein premiums for railcar wheat to and through Kansas City were up 3 cents a bushel for 13.60 through 14.00 pro wheat. The new winter wheat crop was progressing well in most areas, though there were reports of severe leaf rust in early planted and volunteer winter wheat in parts of Oklahoma. HRW wheat futures prices were expected to open down 5-10 cents Wednesday after lower Asian trade.