US Gulf FOB corn basis offers were steady on Monday, while soybeans were weaker for nearby positions amid a lack of fresh demand, dealers said.
Soft red winter wheat basis offers were steady, while dealers kept hard red winter wheat offers under wraps as the market worked an Iraqi tender to buy 200,000 tonnes.
USDA on Monday confirmed the sale of 165,000 tonnes of wheat to Iraq through the United Nations' World Food Program (WFP) tender to buy 630,000 tonnes.
Australia took the lion's share with 460,000 tonnes.
Dealers meanwhile said two boats were loading hard red spring wheat for China in the Pacific Northwest.
"They are loading about 60,000 tonnes in total," the dealer said, adding that there were no vessels loading wheat for China in the US Gulf.
China has bought 1.09 million tonnes of wheat that is to be shipped in the 2003/04 marketing year ending May 31.
There have been concerns that China might cancel the purchases, or roll them over to the next marketing season.
The Asian country's officials have repeatedly assured US markets that Beijing will take delivery of the wheat, and that there would be no cancellations of rollovers.
Corn basis offers were steady, with dealers reporting routine export demand.
Taiwan bought 60,000 tonnes of US corn for April/May shipment in a private deal.
Fresh demand for soybeans remained thin, weighing on nearby basis offers. The overall market was supported by concerns over weather damage to the crops in exporters Brazil and Argentina.
Dealers were waiting for Wednesday's USDA planting intentions and quarterly stocks reports for price directions.
Grain analysts forecast 2004 soybean plantings at 74.508 million acres, above the 2003 seedings of 73.404 million.
Corn plantings were expected at 80.29 million acres, the most in 19 years.
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