US Plains HRW Wheat-Wheat basis flat, traders report US sales to China

CHICAGO, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Basis bids for hard red winter wheat stayed unchanged on Thursday at elevators in the southern U.S. Plains, traders said, after market sources reported Chinese demand for other U.S. wheat varieties.

• China booked two cargoes of U.S. wheat following last week's meeting between the countries' leaders, traders said, the first such purchases since October last year. The purchases included U.S. soft white wheat and spring wheat, they said.

• In Kansas, 4% of winter wheat was in an area affected by drought as of Tuesday, unchanged from a week earlier, according to U.S. Drought Monitor data.

• Rains have delayed plantings in parts of the state, according to producers' group Kansas Wheat. In southwest Kansas, rains also left fields in good condition going into winter, the group said.

• K.C. December hard red winter wheat futures KWZ25 ended down 17-3/4 cents at $5.22-1/4 per bushel. The contract pulled back after rising on Wednesday to its highest level since August 11 at $5.40 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