US wheat and soyabean futures fell early on Thursday on disappointing exports, with grains also under pressure from uncertainty over Europe's debt crisis. Corn futures were only slightly lower in choppy trading, underpinned by the US Department of Agriculture's bigger-than -expected cut in US yield in its report on Wednesday.
The report also raised its estimate of US soyabean ending stocks next summer and reduced exports, while trimming the amount of corn used for feed by 100 million bushels. "We're still in the shadow of the November crop report, which was a disappointment to the bulls," said Rich Feltes, analyst at R.J. O'Brien in Chicago. USDA early on Thursday said US wheat exports last week totalled 298,400 tonnes, below trader estimates of as much as 450,000 tonnes. Top global wheat importer Egypt also purchased wheat in a tender from Ukraine and Russia.
Chicago Board of Trade wheat for December delivery was down 1.6 percent, or 10-1/2 cents, at $6.32-1/2 per bushel in the second straight session of declines. CBOT corn futures were choppy, with spot December corn trading in both positive and negative territory but was down 2-3/4 cents at $6.53-1/4 per bushel as of 10:23 am CST (1623 GMT). CBOT January soyabeans were off 10 cents at $11.75-1/2 per bushel.