HRW wheat bids weaker in US Plains

Spot hard red winter wheat basis bids in the US Plains were mostly steady Tuesday amid still-sluggish country selling, merchants said.
The basis did slip a penny in the Gulf track market, though offers remained hard to find. CIF values were unchanged.
In updating weekly crop reports, the US Department of Agriculture said the US winter wheat crop was 85 percent planted as of Sunday, compared to 87 percent last year and 85 percent for the five-year average. Sixty-eight percent of the crop had emerged, up from 67 percent last year at this time and 64 percent for the five-year average.
The US crop was rated 76 percent good to excellent, compared to 53 percent good to excellent a year ago.
In Kansas, the top US wheat-producing state, 88 percent of the new crop had been planted as of Sunday, according to the state crop report. That compares to 90 percent last year and 92 percent for the five-year average. The crop was rated 78 percent good to excellent.
Futures prices at the Kansas City Board of Trade staged a comeback Monday, with December delivery closing 5-1/2 cents higher at $3.41-1/2 per bushel.