US Plains HRW Wheat-Spot basis bids mostly flat as harvest winds down

CHICAGO, July 16 (Reuters) - Spot basis bids for hard red winter wheat held mostly steady across the southern U.S. Plains on Wednesday as growers were winding up their harvest and locking away unsold grain to await higher prices, merchants said.

• Farmer sales were slow as prices hover just above recent two-month lows. Ample global wheat supplies and limited demand have kept a lid on prices, according to analysts.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture is due to release weekly export sales data early on Thursday. Analysts surveyed by Reuters expect net U.S. wheat sales of 300,000 to 700,000 metric tons for shipment in the 2025/26 marketing year.

• Protein premiums for railcar wheat shipped to and through Kansas City were unchanged for all protein grades. KCBT/SCA

• K.C. September hard red winter wheat futures KWU25 last traded 3/4 cent higher at $5.24-1/2 a bushel.

Basis values are quoted against futures in cts/bu:

NOTES:

H = March, K = May, N = July, U = September

Z = December; UNQ = Unquoted bids

0 = Sp Option price; NC = No comparison

* = No. 1 12% hard winter wheat, rail bids

** = Ordinary protein, rail bids

LINKS:

* K.C. HRW wheat protein scales KCBT/SCA

* U.S. weekly wheat crop progress US/WHE

* U.S. forward basis WHEAT/BASIS

* U.S. Midwest cash grain PM GRA/PM

* U.S. FOB Gulf Grain GRA/F