(Adds quote, updates prices)
LONDON/CANBERRA, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Chicago corn futures
rose on Friday but remained on track for a weekly loss, after
larger estimates of U.S. and Brazilian crops showed the global
market is well supplied.
Soybean futures were higher, extending this week's advance,
buoyed by a downgrade to the U.S. harvest outlook, while wheat
also edged up.
The most active corn contract on the Chicago Board of Trade
(CBOT) was up 0.6% at $3.99-1/2 a bushel at 0931 GMT but
on course for a weekly loss of about 1.5%.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
significantly raised its estimate for the U.S. corn crop, which
will be harvested in the coming weeks.
"The prospect of a supply glut on the corn market is likely
to weigh on corn prices in the coming weeks, especially as more
supply is coming onto the market also from Brazil," Commerzbank
said in a note.
Brazil will harvest 137 million metric tons of corn in
2024-25, its crop agency Conab said, raising its estimate for
second corn production by 5 million tons.
Low U.S. corn prices appear to be stimulating demand,
preventing further losses.
Net export sales of new-crop U.S. corn of 2,047,813 tons in
the week ended August 7 were near the high end of the range of
trade estimates, with the USDA also confirming a series of
private sales.
In other crops, CBOT most-active soybeans gained 0.3%
to $10.32 a bushel and were up 4.5% so far this week, while
wheat for September delivery rose a marginal 0.1% to
$5.04 a bushel but was headed for a 2% weekly loss.
Net export sales of new-crop U.S. soybeans were larger than
expected in the week ended August 7, but China's absence from
the U.S. market worried traders and kept a lid on prices.