Chicago agricultural commodities close mixed

Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn inched higher for its fifth successive trading days on Thursday, while wheat fell further on negative export sale datas, soybeans also declined slightly.

The most active corn contract for May delivery was higher 3.50 cents, or 0.98 percent, to close at 3.615 dollars per bushel. May wheat delivery lost 6 cents, or 1.30 percent, to close at 4.57 dollars per bushel. May soybeans shed 3.50 cents, or 0.39 percent, to close at 9.045 dollars per bushel.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its weekly export sale report Thursday morning. According to the highlights of the report, wheat net sales declined 58,100 tons for delivery in marketing year 2015/2016 during the week of March 31 to a marketing year low, the weekly wheat net sales were also down sharply from the previous week and from the prior four-week average. Analysts noted that the disappointing datas weighed on wheat Thursday as they boosted expectations of less demand for U.S. wheat.

However, corn futures was supported by the report as it showed better than expected corn demand. Corn net sales were 945,200 tons, which were up 20 percent from the previous week, according to the highlights. Some analysts also noted that the corn export sales were also higher than market expectations.

As for the soybeans, the report rated net sales at 420,400 tons, up from the previous week and also up from the prior four week average. Analysts noted that soybean export sales were in line with expectations and soybean may be pressed by outside markets on Thursday as equities were sharply lower.

Soybean futures closed a few cents lower on Thursday as new worries about global economies weighed on a number of markets including equities and crude oil, the Farm Futures, the U.S. farm business media said in its daily comments. Endit