GRAINS-Corn, soy turn up on U.S. export data, rallying from early declines

(New throughout; updates prices, adds quotes, changes byline, changes dateline from previous PARIS/SINGAPORE)

By Julie Ingwersen

CHICAGO, Jan 17 (Reuters) -

Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn and soybean futures rallied on Tuesday after a U.S. holiday weekend as signs of export demand and follow-through support from last week's bullish U.S. government supply/demand reports overshadowed early pressure from wetter South American weather forecasts, traders said.

Wheat followed the higher trend.

As of 12:57 p.m. CST (1857 GMT), CBOT March corn was up 8 cents at $6.83 per bushel after reaching $6.84-1/4, its highest since Dec. 30. March soybeans were up 7-1/2 cents at $15.35-1/4 a bushel and March wheat was up 8-1/4 cents at $7.52 a bushel.

Technical buying accelerated in corn as the March contract pushed above chart resistance at its 200-day moving average near $6.78.

The markets got a boost after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed

private sales

of 150,000 tonnes of U.S. corn to Colombia and 119,000 tonnes of soybeans to unknown destinations.

Weekly export inspections data also lent support, with the USDA

reporting

774,461 tonnes of U.S. corn and 2.075 million tonnes of soybeans inspected for export in the latest week, both above a range of

trade expectations

.

Traders shrugged off early pressure tied to beneficial weekend rains in Brazil and outlooks for much-needed showers in Argentina's crop belt.

"We've had those (weather forecasts) come out and then not materialize. Until we see an end to some of the

dryness

down there, (traders) are going to be supporting this market," said Sherman Newlin, an analyst with Risk Management Commodities.

Traders continue to digest the USDA's Jan. 12 stocks and

supply/demand reports

that showed smaller-than-expected U.S. grain supplies as of Dec. 1.

"Fund managers jumped back on the bandwagon of buyers that received support from Thursday's USDA ... crop report," StoneX chief commodities economist Arlan Suderman wrote in a client note. "That rally seemed to lack conviction on Friday ahead of the three-day holiday weekend, resulting in the overnight selling, but the buying returned today," Suderman said.

Meanwhile, Algeria's state grains agency OAIC bought milling wheat in an international tender, with quantities estimated in

initial assessments

by European traders at 510,000 tonnes to 600,000 tonnes. (Reporting by Julie Ingwersen; Editing by Andrea Ricci)

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