GRAINS-Soybeans rise on Latam dryness, corn near 6-month top

SINGAPORE, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Chicago soybeans ticked higher on Friday, rising for a fourth consecutive session amid concerns over dryness in parts of South America, although forecasts of record production in Brazil kept a lid on prices.

Wheat fell for a second session, while corn traded near its highest in six months.

FUNDAMENTALS

* The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Sv1 added 0.1% to $10.12-3/4 a bushel as of 0115 GMT and corn Cv1 was unchanged at $4.59-1/2 a bushel, not far from its highest since mid-June reached earlier in the session.

* Wheat slipped 0.1% to $5.45-1/2 a bushel.

* Forecasts of record output in top exporter Brazil have weighed on soybean prices in recent weeks, although there are some worries over dryness in parts of South America.

* Soybeans and corn received support from limited rain and building heat forecast for southern Brazil and Argentina over the next few weeks, said Jim McCormick, co-founder of AgMarket.net.

* Brazil's 2024-2025 soybean crop is expected to reach 171.4 million metric tons, consultancy firm StoneX said on Thursday, increasing its forecast from the 166.2 million tons estimated in December.

* The upward revision was driven by higher expectations for the area planted with the oilseed in the South American country and increased yields, according to StoneX, which estimated production to be 14.4% higher than the previous season.

* In Russia, poor early growth for the next winter wheat crop, rising local prices and steps by the authorities to curb exports continued to create doubts about availability in the world's biggest wheat exporting country.

* Commodity funds were net sellers of CBOT soybean, soyoil and wheat futures contracts on Thursday, traders said. They were net buyers of soymeal futures contracts and net even in corn futures. COMFUND/CBT

MARKET NEWS

* Global stocks fell on Thursday as early gains faded, continuing the year-end downdraft into the first trading day of the new year, while the dollar hit a two-year high after economic data indicated the U.S. labor market remained on solid ground. MKTS/GLOB

DATA/EVENTS (GMT)

0855 Germany Unemployment Chg SA Dec

0855 Germany Unemployment Rate SA Dec

1500 US ISM Manufacturing PMI Dec

(Reporting by Naveen Thukral; Editing by Varun H K)

((naveen.thukral@thomsonreuters.com; +65-6870-3829; Reuters Messaging: naveen.thukral.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))