CBOT wheat rises on increased buying interest

CHICAGO, March 13 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade soft red winter wheat futures rose on Thursday after Russia's IKAR cut its wheat export forecasts, sparking buying interest in U.S. wheat futures.

• CBOT May soft red winter wheat WK25 settled up 8-1/2 cents at $5.62-1/2 a bushel.

• K.C. May hard red winter wheat KWK25 ended up 14-1/2 cents at $5.87-1/2 a bushel, while Minneapolis May spring wheat MWEK25 settled up 9-1/4 cents at $6.03-3/4 a bushel.

• U.S. wheat export sales for 2024-25 were 783,400 metric tons in the week ended March 6, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. That topped analysts' estimates for 275,000 to 650,000 metric tons.

• French consultancy Strategie Grains trimmed its 2025-26 EU wheat production forecast, though it remains up from 2024-25.

• Worries that trade disputes threaten global demand for American crops still hang over the grain markets.