Chicago agricultural futures mixed in morning trade

CHICAGO, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) agricultural commodities traded mixed on Wednesday morning, with soybean futures rising 4 cents, as rain may only reach small part of Argentina crop.

The dry pattern in Argentina will cause stress for almost 70 percent of the country's soybean and corn crops, Commodity Weather Group said in a forecast.

May corn was 0.5 cent higher at 3.75 U.S. dollars per bushel as of 1500 GMT, May wheat was 4.25 cents lower at 4.4875 dollars, May soybean was up 4 cents at 10.3225 dollars.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) late on Monday rated 11 percent of top winter wheat producer Kansas in good-to-excellent condition, down from 12 percent a week earlier. Wheat ratings also declined in Texas.

Analysts said Monday's crop rating showed a new degradation of wheat conditions in U.S., but it did not take into account the rains of the weekend. Thus, the crop rating of next week will be monitored closely. Enditem