CBOT corn futures weaken on drier forecast

CHICAGO, April 23 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade corn futures ended lower on Wednesday as a drier forecast for the U.S. Midwest was expected to speed planting progress in the coming weeks.

• July corn CN25 ended down 4 cents at $4.79-1/4 a bushel.

• The next 16-30 days should be drier in the U.S. Midwest, allowing for an improved planting pace, according to Commodity Weather Group.

• The U.S. dollar staged a tentative rebound against its major peers on Wednesday on hopes of de-escalating trade tensions and as President Donald Trump backed away from threats to fire the head of the Federal Reserve, offering relief to investors.

• A stronger dollar tends to make U.S. exports more expensive and less competitive on the global market.