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Strengthening dollar adds pressure on US agricultural

commodities

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Uncertainty about US economy prompts traders to exit

positions

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Investors position ahead of March 31 prospective planting

report

(Updates with US market close)

By Renee Hickman

CHICAGO, March 21 (Reuters) - Chicago corn and soy eased

and wheat traded nearly flat on Friday as traders' concerns

about the U.S. economic outlook inspired a selloff ahead of the

weekend, according to analysts.

The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade

settled up 1 cent to $5.58-1/4 per bushel.

Soybeans ended down 3-1/4 cents at 10.09-3/4 a bushel

and corn slipped 4-3/4 cents to finish at $4.64-1/4 a

bushel.

"There is so much uncertainty in the market right now over

the economy," said Karl Setzer, a partner at Consus Ag

Consulting.

"Futures traders are concerned that over the weekend you

might see a news story come out and blow up their position, so

they're just exiting everything ahead of it," he said.

Traders are also positioning ahead of March 31, when the

U.S. Department of Agriculture will release its grain stocks and

prospective planting reports. The data will include estimates

for farmers' planting intentions in 2025.

Also being monitored are tariff tussles between the United

States and its trading partners, and discussions to end the

Russia-Ukraine war.

The U.S. dollar gained ground against the euro on Friday,

putting it on pace for its first weekly gain this month, as

investors booked profits from the currency's recent advance and

as the April 2 deadline for reciprocal U.S. tariffs approached.

Strength in the dollar pressured U.S. grain futures, as a

strong dollar tends to make U.S. exports more expensive and

therefore less competitive on the global market.

The International Grains Council forecast a rise in global

corn production in the 2025/26 season, with larger crops seen in

the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Ukraine.

China's soybean imports from the United States jumped 84.1%

in the first two months of 2025 compared with a year ago, but

competitive pricing and a trade standoff with the U.S. are

expected to boost purchases from Brazil in the months ahead.