* Corn firms, near 8-year top as frosty U.S. weather supports

* USDA's weekly report shows corn planting below expectations

* Strong feed grain demand in China likely to underpin prices

SINGAPORE, April 20 (Reuters) - Chicago corn futures rose for a second straight session on Tuesday to trade close to last week's eight-year high, as forecasts for frosty U.S. weather and a slower planting pace supported prices.

Soybeans gained more ground while wheat ticked higher.

The corn market has been buoyed in recent months by strong demand, led by China.

"News from China provides another hint of confirmation that supplies are tight in China," said Tobin Gorey, director of agricultural strategy at Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

"Heilongjiang province announced that it was bumping up subsidies for corn growing in the region. The province contains some of China's largest corn-growing regions."

China's imports of soybeans, as well as grains like corn and wheat, soared in the first quarter, boosted by strong demand from the livestock sector, data from customs showed on Tuesday.

The most-active corn contract on the Chicago Board of Trade rose 0.6% to $5.95-1/2 by 0301 GMT, having gained 1.1% in the previous session. Corn had climbed to its highest since June 2013 at $6.02 a bushel on Thursday.

Soybeans were up 0.6% to $14.45 a bushel and wheat added 0.3% at $6.55-1/2 a bushel.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the U.S. corn crop was 8% planted, matching the five-year average but just behind the average estimate in a Reuters analyst poll for 9%.

Sub-freezing temperatures are expected across most of the Plains and the Midwest this week along with some snow and rain. Meanwhile, dry conditions persist in the northern Plains.

The USDA said soybean planting was 3% complete, ahead of the five-year average of 2% and in line with trade expectations.

The USDA rated 53% of the U.S. winter wheat crop in good to excellent condition, unchanged from the previous week. Analysts on average had expected a decline of one percentage point.

Brazil has suspended import duties on soy, corn, soybean meal and soybean oil until the end of the year, the Agriculture Ministry said on Monday, as the country seeks to slow inflation fanned by rising global commodities prices.

Commodity funds were net buyers of CBOT corn, soybean and soymeal futures contracts on Monday and net sellers of soyoil and wheat futures, traders said. (Reporting by Naveen Thukral; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)