US soyabean futures at the Chicago Board of Trade closed higher on Tuesday on a lack of cash selling by US and South American farmers, along with short-covering by commodity funds, traders said. May soyabeans ended up 8 cents at $9.68 per bushel; new-crop November up 10 at $9.45. May soyameal finished up $3.80 at $275.20 a ton; December up $5 at $257.80.
May soyaoil settled up 0.15 cent at 39.74 cents per lb. Managed funds bought 3,000 soyabean contracts, 1,000 soyameal and 1,000 soyaoil - traders. CFTC data showed managed funds shifted to a net short position in CBOT soyabeans in latest week, leaving market open to bouts of short-covering.
Bull spreads in soyabeans unwound toward the close, with back months gaining against nearbys, reversing the trend of the previous two days. Satisfactory weather continues for soya harvest in Brazil and Argentina. Celeres pegs Brazil's soyabean harvest at 81 percent complete. US Midwest interior soyabean basis steady to firm amid thin country selling; light movement noted in Iowa. Argentina says China soyaoil talks progressing. Egypt tendered to buy up to 20,000 tonnes of soyaoil for arrival in the second half of May or the first half of June.