CIF/FOB Gulf Grain-Corn, soy barge bids steady to weaker

CHICAGO, April 22 (Reuters) - Basis bids for soybeans and corn delivered by barge to U.S. Gulf Coast terminals were steady to weaker on Tuesday, reflecting slightly cheaper costs for barge freight this week, traders said.

Empty barges available this week on the Mississippi River at St. Louis were offered at 375% of tariff, unchanged from Monday but down from 400% last week. BG/US

Sales of grain by farmers remained thin as growers stayed busy with spring planting and field preparations.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday said U.S. corn planting was 12% complete, topping the five-year average of 10% and ahead of most analysts' expectations. Soybean planting was 8% finished, above the five-year average of 5%.

At the Gulf on Tuesday, CIF corn barges loaded in April were bid at 68 cents over Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) May corn CK25 futures, down 3 cents from Monday.

FOB export premiums for corn shipped in May were down 2 cents at about 84 cents over CBOT May futures.

For soybeans, CIF Gulf barges loaded in April were bid at 77 cents over CBOT May SK25 soybean futures, down a penny from Monday. Bids for May loadings were also at 77 cents over futures, unchanged from Monday.

Export premiums for soybeans loaded from the Gulf in May were unchanged at 89 cents over May futures.

The CME Group Inc said that force majeure was no longer in effect at CBOT wheat shipping stations along the Ohio River. The exchange had declared force majeure on April 9 after flooding made grain load-out impossible at those sites. By Tuesday, loading was possible at a majority of Ohio River delivery points, the exchange said in a statement.

For displays of CIF basis, click on the codes in brackets:
U.S. CIF Gulf soybeans GRYM
U.S. CIF Gulf corn GRYN
U.S. CIF Gulf SRW wheat GRYO
U.S. CIF Gulf HRW wheat GRYP
For displays of FOB basis, please click on the following codes in brackets:
U.S. FOB Gulf corn GRZC
U.S. FOB Gulf soybeans GRZD
U.S. FOB Gulf SRW wheat GRZE
U.S. FOB Gulf HRW wheat GRZF

LINKS Corn prices page:   cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageid=corn-cash-market
Wheat prices page:  cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageid=wheat-cash-market
U.S. barge freight                  BG/US
U.S. export sales estimates         USDA/EST
U.S. grain export summary           GRA/U
Brazil soybean export prices        SYBS
Brazil corn export prices           SYBX
Argentina grain prices              GRA/ARG
Russia grain prices                 GRA/RU