US Plains HRW Wheat-Basis steady, protein premiums edge higher

Sept 10 (Reuters) - Basis bids for hard red winter (HRW) wheat were unchanged at elevators in the southern U.S. Plains on Wednesday while protein premiums improved for a few grades of wheat shipped by rail to and through Kansas City, reflecting demand from domestic flour millers.

• Premiums firmed by 2 cents a bushel for wheat with 11.2% and 11.4% protein and firmed by 1 to 2 cents for wheat with 12.0% through 12.8% protein. KCBT/SCA

• Overnight thunderstorms produced a few reports of high winds and large hail across eastern Colorado and western Kansas, the U.S. Agriculture Department said in a daily weather note.

• Late-season warmth is expanding eastward across the Plains and fieldwork, including early-season winter wheat planting, is proceeding with few delays, the USDA said.

• The 2026 U.S. winter wheat crop was 5% seeded by Sunday, the government said this week. Planting was 1% complete in Kansas.

• Ahead of monthly USDA supply/demand reports due on Friday, analysts surveyed by Reuters on average expected the government to trim its forecast of 2025/26 U.S. wheat ending stocks and raise its forecast of global wheat stocks.

• The USDA will wait to update its U.S. 2025 wheat production figures until its September 30 small grains report.

• K.C. December hard red winter wheat futures KWZ25 settled down 3-1/4 cents on Wednesday at $5.07 per bushel. WHE/C

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