CHICAGO, Jan 11 (Reuters) - U.S. wheat futures rose about 1% on Tuesday on a pickup in global export business and short-covering ahead of several key U.S. Department of Agriculture reports due on Wednesday, traders said.
Corn and soybeans edged higher ahead of the reports, which will include updated estimates of U.S. 2021 crop production and Dec. 1 inventories. Worries about crop weather in South America and rising crude oil prices also lent support.
As of 12:52 p.m. CST (1852 GMT), Chicago Board of Trade March wheat was up 6-3/4 cents at $7.68-3/4 after reaching $7.70-1/4, the contract's highest since Jan. 5.
CBOT March corn was up 1 cent at $6.00-3/4 a bushel and March soybeans were up 3/4 cent at $13.85-1/2 a bushel.
Wheat futures rallied, extending a recovery from multi-month lows set last week, as Algeria, Turkey and Japan sought wheat on the world market.
"Global import tenders are starting to pick up a little bit. And we are seeing follow-through short covering from yesterday. That's likely because of positioning ahead of tomorrow's report," said Terry Reilly, senior analyst with Futures International.
Analysts surveyed by Reuters on average expect the USDA on Wednesday to report the tightest U.S. Dec. 1 wheat stocks since 2007. The Reuters polls also projected the largest U.S. winter wheat seedings since 2016, although Reilly noted dry conditions and a lack of snow cover across the Plains winter wheat belt.
"Even if we come in above trade expectations on winter wheat plantings, we still have to keep an eye on the weather," Reilly said.
Commodity funds hold a net short position in CBOT wheat futures, leaving the market vulnerable to short-covering.
Corn and soybean futures were steady to firmer on positioning ahead of the USDA's reports and uncertainty about South American crop prospects.
Brazilian food supply and statistics agency Conab lowered its estimate of Brazil's 2021/22 soybean crop to 140.5 million tonnes, from 142.8 million previously. Conab was more conservative than private consultancies, which last week cut soy output projections by much larger volumes.
Hot, dry weather has threatened crop prospects in Argentina and southern Brazil.
"The weather forecast ... suggests some rainfall on the South American continent, which would however remain very insufficient, mainly in Argentina in view of the very high temperatures observed," consultancy Agritel said in a note.
(Reporting by Julie Ingwersen in Chicago; Additional reporting by Gus Trompiz in Paris and Naveen Thukral in Singapore; Editing by Richard Chang)
