FUNDAMENTALS
* The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board of
Trade (CBOT) was up 0.3% at $6.98-3/4 a bushel, as of 0012
GMT, after climbing earlier in the session to its highest since
April 4 at $6.99 a bushel.
* Soybeans gained half a cent at $15.17-1/2 a bushel
and corn was unchanged at $6.76-1/2 a bushel.
* The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Monday rated
27% of U.S. winter wheat in good to excellent condition,
unchanged from a week ago and the lowest for this time of year
in records dating to the late 1980s.
* For corn, the USDA said planting was 8% complete by
Sunday, behind the average analyst estimate of 10% but ahead of
the five-year average of 5% as farmers took advantage of mild
weather.
* Global wheat supplies are being threatened, with several
countries in Europe banning imports from war-torn Ukraine.
* Slovakia on Monday joined Poland and Hungary in banning
grain imports from Ukraine as even Kyiv's staunchest allies come
under domestic pressure to shield their agriculture markets.
* In addition, Ukraine said the Black Sea grain deal was in
danger of a "shutdown" after Russia blocked inspections of
participating ships in Turkish waters.
* In the soybean market, the U.S. crush jumped to a 15-month
high and the second highest level for any month on record in
March, according to National Oilseed Processors Association
(NOPA) data released on Monday.
* NOPA members, which account for around 95% of soybeans
crushed in the United States, processed 185.810 million bushels
of soybeans last month, up 12.3% from the 165.414 million
bushels processed in February.
* Argentina grains inspectors have launched a 24-hour strike
that is halting shipments at key river ports in farm transport
hub Rosario, the ports chamber CAPyM said on Monday.
* Commodity funds were net buyers of CBOT grains and soy
futures contracts on Monday, traders said. MARKET NEWS
* A gauge of global stocks was slightly higher on Monday as
investors digested another round of corporate earnings, while
the dollar and U.S. Treasuries yields rose after economic data
further cemented expectations of a rate hike from the Federal
Reserve in May. DATA/EVENTS (GMT)
0200 China Urban Investment (YTD) YY March
0200 China Retail Sales YY March
0200 China GDP YY Q1
0200 China Unemp Rate Urban Area March
0600 UK Claimant Count Unemp Chng March
0600 UK ILO Unemployment Rate Feb
0600 UK HMRC Payrolls Change March
0900 Germany ZEW Economic Sentiment April
0900 Germany ZEW Current Conditions April
1230 US Housing Starts Number March
(Reporting by Naveen Thukral; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
