Corn, soy barge bids hold steady

Basis bids for corn and soybeans delivered by barge to U.S. Gulf Coast terminals held steady on Friday, underpinned by fresh export sales of both crops and a slow pace of farmer grain offerings as producers focused on spring planting, traders said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, under its daily reporting rules, confirmed private sales of 288,000 metric tons of corn to Mexico. The announcement followed a similar sale of U.S. corn to Mexico that was issued on Thursday. The USDA also confirmed private sales of 120,000 tons of U.S. soybeans to Pakistan, the second sale to Pakistan in as many days. At the Gulf on Friday, CIF corn barges loaded in May were bid at 64 cents over Chicago Board of Trade July corn (CN25) futures, unchanged from Thursday. June corn barge bid also held at 64 cents over July futures. FOB export premiums for corn shipped from the Gulf in June were offered at about 76 cents over CBOT July corn futures, down 2 cents from Thursday. CIF Gulf soybean barges ...