Hard red winter wheat basis bids held steady in the US Plains on Thursday in slow trade ahead of Christmas on Friday when markets will be closed. Traders said snow in the region was limiting grain movement by trucks amid icy roads. But the snow was beneficial for the dormant winter wheat crop, providing protective cover against any freezing weather while boosting soil moisture.
Protein premiums were steady for railcar wheat to and through Kansas City. USDA said wheat export sales totalled 221,300 tonnes last week, a marketing year low and down 36 percent from the previous week. Of the total, 96,900 tonnes were HRW wheat.