CBOT corn futures fall after USDA report

CHICAGO, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade corn futures ended lower on Tuesday after a bearish U.S. Department of Agriculture quarterly stocks report.

• Most-active CBOT December corn CZ25 settled 6 cents lower to $4.15-1/2 per bushel.

• Warm and dry weather over the U.S. Corn Belt promoted harvest progress over the weekend, and forecasts called for more of the same this week.

• The corn harvest was 18% complete by Sunday, according to USDA.

• Export demand has been strong.

• Traders braced for a fast-approaching U.S. government shutdown. Previous shutdowns have disrupted the release of USDA reports.

• The USDA said in a quarterly report that there were 1.532 billion bushels of corn in storage as of September 1, down from 1.763 billion bushels a year earlier. Analysts on average expected 1.337 billion bushels.

• Low prices boosted exports in the world's top corn supplier this year, reducing supplies in storage, but also making it difficult for farmers to turn a profit at a time when costs have increased for fertilizer, seed and other goods.

• Despite low prices, U.S. livestock producers likely used less corn for feed than previously expected because Washington blocked imports of Mexican cattle in a bid to keep out the damaging parasite New World screwworm, which has spread in Mexico, analysts said.