IKAR: GRAINS-Soybean prices firm as USDA pegs harvest pace below expectations

SYDNEY, Sept 27 U.S. soybean prices rose for the first time in three sessions on Tuesday after the U.S.

Department of Agriculture said the pace of harvesting was behind analyst expectations.

* The most active soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade climbed 0.34 percent to $9.48-1/2 a bushel, having closed down 1 percent on Monday.

* The most active corn futures advanced 0.1 percent to $3.29-1/4 a bushel, having closed down 2.2 percent in the previous session.

* The most active wheat futures rose 0.13 percent to $3.96-1/2 a bushel, having closed down 2.2 percent on Monday.

* The USDA said the corn harvest was 15 percent complete and the soybean harvest 10 percent complete. Analysts polled by Reuters had estimated the corn harvest at 17 percent complete and soybeans 11 percent harvested.

* Heavy showers in recent days waterlogged fields in parts of northern Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Rivers flooded in parts of Iowa, forcing corn and soy processors to shut down in Cedar Rapids, while at least three locks on the Mississippi River were expected to close.

* Russian wheat export prices rose last week for the first time since mid-August, buoyed by demand from Egypt after it dropped its policy of not importing wheat containing the ergot fungus, agricultural consultancy IKAR said.

* The dollar was on the back foot and the safe-haven yen was buoyant as caution gripped the market ahead of the closely-watched U.S. presidential debate.

* Crude futures slipped in Asian trade on Tuesday as investors took profits after prices climbed more than 3 percent in the previous session.

     DATA AHEAD (GMT) 
0600  Germany       Import prices                     Aug 
1300  U.S.          S&P/Case-Shiller housing index    Jul 
1345  U.S.          Markit services PMI flash         Sep 
1400  U.S.          Consumer confidence               Sep 
       
 Grains
 prices at
  0111 GMT
 Cont  Last  Chan   Pct  Two-    MA  RSI 
 ract          ge   chg   day    30  
                          chg        
 CBOT  396.  0.50  +0.1  -2.0  410.    47
 whea    50          3%    4%    75  
 t                                   
 CBOT  329.  0.25  +0.0  -2.1  333.    44
 corn    25          8%    5%    29  
 CBOT  948.  3.25  +0.3  -0.6  973.    33
 soy     50          4%    8%    22  
 CBOT  9.70  $0.0  +0.2  +0.4  $9.8    52
 rice           3    6%    1%     4  
 WTI   45.5  -$0.  -0.7  +2.4  $45.    53
 crud     7    36    8%    5%    75  
 e                                   
 Curr                                    
 enci                                
 es                                  
 Euro  $1.1  -$0.  -0.0  +0.2            
 /dlr    25   001    7%    0%        
 USD/  0.76  -0.0  -0.0  +0.1            
 AUD     29    01    9%    4%        
 Most
 active
 contracts
 Wheat,
 corn and
 soy US
 cents/bus
 hel.
 Rice: USD
 per
 hundredwe
 ight
 RSI 14,
 exponenti
 al