US grain and soyabean futures weakened, with wheat touching a six-month low as worries about the "fiscal cliff" weighed on commodities markets. USDA will issue export sales data for last week on Friday, one day later than normal due to the Christmas holiday. Export sales are expected to be 500,000 to 700,000 tonnes for wheat, 150,000 to 300,000 tonnes for corn, and 100,000 to 300,000 tonnes for soyabeans.
US soyabeans have been competing for export business with crops from Brazil, which is expected to bring in a record-large harvest due to favourable weather. The Commodity Weather Group said in a forecast that rains will favour central Brazil in the next 10 days, aiding corn and soyabean growth. Argentina soyabean acreage lost to flooding this year should be offset by wider seedings in outlying parts of country that have received beneficial moisture, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said on Thursday.