CBOT wheat firms on Russia supply snags; USDA data awaited

CHICAGO, July 10 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures rose 1.4% on Thursday, buoyed by export delays in top global supplier Russia and short-covering one day ahead of monthly supply-demand reports due from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, traders said.

• CBOT September soft red winter wheat WU25 settled up 7-1/2 cents at $5.54-1/2 per bushel, pushing past its 50-day moving average near $5.51 and snapping a four-session slide.

• Commodity funds hold a net short position in CBOT wheat, leaving the market prone to short-covering moves.

• K.C. September hard red winter wheat KWU25 ended up 10-3/4 cents at $5.34-3/4 a bushel and Minneapolis September spring wheat MWEU25 rose 1/4 cent to end at $6.31-3/4 a bushel.

• Euronext wheat climbed more than 2% as export delays in Russia encouraged bargain-buying after recent contract lows.

• The Russian government ordered measures to boost agricultural exports as July wheat shipments were set to be their lowest since 2008, a trend traders said reflected a supply squeeze due to a late harvest and slow selling by farmers.

• China's wheat output edged down 0.1% from a year earlier, official data showed, as severe drought hit key growing regions including Henan province.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported export sales of U.S. 2025/26 wheat in the week ended July 3 at 567,800 metric tons, near the high end of trade expectations for 200,000 to 600,000 tons. EXP/WHE

• Ahead of the USDA's monthly supply-demand and crop production reports on Friday, analysts surveyed by Reuters on average expect the government to lower its estimate of U.S. 2025/26 wheat production. Only slight changes were seen for the USDA's forecasts of 2025/26 U.S. and global wheat ending stocks.