Hard red winter wheat basis bids were steady on Friday with the market eyeing a winter storm moving through the Plains. Storm could disrupt rail and truck movement of wheat, merchants said. Railroads still delayed a week or more due to previous weather problems. Moisture from storm should benefit new-crop winter wheat.

Protein premiums for railcar wheat to and through Kansas City were unchanged. Canadian farmers expected to seed about the same amount of wheat this spring at 19.3 million acres (7.8 million hectares). Canadian Wheat Board picks up wheat export sales to Africa from Australian Wheat Board. Satisfactory crop weather in the US winter wheat growing region with a blanket of snow protecting much of the crop from cold weather and adding to soil moisture reserves.

Copyright Reuters, 2010