Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures were lower on Friday on profit-taking following a week-long rally that boosted the market over 3 percent, traders said. Improved US crop weather prospects put some pressure on wheat. Increased rainfall and some snow were expected by the weekend and again late next week across Midwest crop areas which will add valuable soil moisture ahead of spring seedings of corn and soybeans, an agricultural meteorologist said on Friday.
The number of US acres covered by crop insurance should rise to a record level this year as farmers seek protection against a drop in prices or lower yields, insurance experts said ahead of a Friday deadline to purchase or change policies for 2013. Japan has raised its target for annual feed wheat imports by 20 percent, a move that could weigh on US corn prices and boost wheat prices as animal feed makers in the world's biggest corn importer continue to shift to cheaper alternatives.
A ship is due in a German port next week to load at least 55,000 tonnes of wheat for shipment to Iran, German traders said on Friday. Soft wheat production in the European Union is expected to rise this year to 127.8 million tonnes from 124.55 million in 2012, EU grain lobby Coceral said on Friday in its first forecast for this year's harvest.
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