Wheat futures at the Chicago Board of Trade were lower early on Tuesday, backing off of early strength as follow-through buying failed to materialise, traders said. "It's just a lack of interest right now," one floor source said, noting the slow pace of activity in the pit.
As of 11:15 am CDT (1615 GMT), September wheat was down 3 cents at $3.20 per bushel, with deferred contracts down 2 to up 3/4.
Wheat opened gently higher, with locals the featured buyers, following a firm early trend in soybeans. Commodity funds remain heavily net short in CBOT wheat futures, leaving the market vulnerable to a bounce if traders begin to cover those short positions.