CANBERRA, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Chicago soybean and corn

futures edged higher on Tuesday, aided by a weakening dollar,

but they hovered near four-year lows as traders waited to see if

a widely followed crop tour this week will support expectations

of bumper U.S. yields.

Wheat futures edged lower as large Black Sea harvests and an

improvement in the condition of U.S. crops maintained

expectations of ample supply despite poor French and German

crops.

FUNDAMENTALS

* The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of

Trade (CBOT) was up 0.2% at $9.77-3/4 a bushel, as of 0040

GMT, CBOT corn edged 0.1% higher to $4.00-1/2 a bushel,

while wheat dipped 0.1% to $5.51-1/2 a bushel.

* All three contracts have fallen to their lowest levels

since 2020 in recent weeks - $9.55 for soybeans, $3.90 for corn

and $5.14 for wheat - and speculators are betting on further

decline.

* The dollar weakened on Tuesday to its lowest levels since

Jan. 2, making U.S. crops more affordable for buyers with other

currencies.

* The Pro Farmer crop tour in the U.S. Midwest kicked off on

Monday, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the same day

rating 67% of the nation's corn crop and 68% of the soybean crop

in good-to-excellent condition.

* The ratings matched analyst expectations and were the

highest for this time of year for both crops since 2020.

* The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday reported

private sales of 332,000 metric tons of U.S. soybeans to China

and 110,000 tons to undisclosed destinations for shipment in the

2024/25 marketing year.

* The sales come amid generally weak overseas demand for

U.S. soybeans that has weighed on prices.

* Weather forecasts predict a dry spell in the U.S. Midwest

in the week ahead, and dry conditions have also hit parts of the

Mississippi Delta region, raising concerns about soybean yields.

* In wheat, the USDA rated 73% of the U.S. spring wheat crop

in good-to-excellent condition, up 1% from the previous week and

higher than analysts' expectations.

* Russian wheat export prices declined last week amid lower

global prices and weak demand, with analysts expecting new crop

supplies to increase and exert further downward pressure.

* Egypt remains confident of securing its target of around

3.8 million metric tons of imported wheat by the end of 2024,

through a combination of tenders, direct purchases and

government-to-government agreements, a minister said.

* Ukraine's grain exports in the 2024/25 July-June season

had reached 5.79 million metric tons, as of Aug. 19, up from

3.61 million tons by the same date of the previous season,

agriculture ministry data showed.

MARKETS NEWS

* Global stocks pushed higher and the dollar tipped lower on

Monday, after shares surged last week on expectations the U.S.

economy would dodge a recession and cooling inflation would spur

interest rate cuts.