US Plains HRW Wheat-Basis steady-firmer on domestic demand

CHICAGO, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Basis bids for hard red winter wheat firmed in a few locations in the southern U.S. Plains on Thursday, supported by light demand from domestic flour millers at a time when farmer selling has been minimal, dealers said.

• K.C. HRW wheat futures continued to hover near life-of-contract lows, a factor that has discouraged wheat sales by farmers who are also busy with the autumn harvest and planting the 2026 winter wheat crop.

• Soil moisture in Kansas and Oklahoma is drying out after a wet period in early September. The latest weekly U.S. Drought Monitor report released on Thursday showed 52% of Oklahoma was abnormally dry, up from 36% the previous week.

• Some farmers in southwest Kansas and parts of Oklahoma have been debating whether to continue planting or wait for rain.

• A Kansas State University agronomy newsletter released on Thursday said growers in most of Kansas, the largest U.S. winter wheat state, are entering their optimum planting period, and given forecasts for rain in the next two weeks, "the advice would be to continue with crop planting."

• Protein premiums for railcar HRW wheat to and through Kansas City rose by 10 cents a bushel for "ordinary" wheat with less than 11.0% protein. Premiums for other grades were unchanged. KCBT/SCA

• K.C. December hard red winter wheat KWZ25 futures settled down 3-1/2 cents at $4.89-3/4 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