US MIDDAY: grain futures slip

Grain futures traded at the Chicago Board of Trade were mostly lower Thursday as another earthquake in Japan roiled the markets, traders said. May corn futures earlier set a record high at $7.73-1/4 per bushel, rallying on continued expectations for tight supplies and good demand. But gains were cut on profit-taking after the quake hit.
At 9:53 CDT (1453 GMT), May corn was 1-3/4 cents higher at $7.64-1/2 a bushel, with May wheat 6 cents lower at $7.76-1/4 and May soyabeans down 4 cents at $13.72-1/2.