US Cash Grains-Soy, corn basis steady to mixed as CBOT futures slide

CHICAGO, March 16 (Reuters) - Cash basis bids for corn and soybeans in the U.S. Midwest were steady with a few mixed changes on Monday as Chicago Board of Trade futures contracts tumbled, discouraging farmer grain sales in the wake of last week's multi-month highs.

• CBOT May soybeans SK26 fell by their daily 70-cent limit as a potential delay to U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later in March dampened hopes for more U.S. soybean sales to China. GRA/

• The spot soybean basis fell at two grain facilities along the Mississippi River, reflecting weaker demand late last week from exporters at the U.S. Gulf.

• But the soy basis firmed by 4 cents at Decatur, Illinois, a soy processing hub.

• Monthly data from the National Oilseed Processors Association reflected a brisk soy crushing pace. NOPA said its members crushed 208.785 million bushels of soybeans in February, topping a range of trade expectations.

• NOPA's figure reflected a crush rate of 7.457 million bushels per day, which topped the prior record pace of 7.343 million bushels a day set in October 2025.

• For corn, the basis firmed by a penny per bushel at a Cincinnati, Ohio, terminal but fell by 2 cents at Toledo, Ohio.

(Reporting by Julie Ingwersen; Editing by Nia Williams)

((Julie.ingwersen@thomsonreuters.com; 1-313-484-5283; Reuters Messaging: julie.ingwersen.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))