1.   Helped by tight world supplies, they negotiated new agreements under which those countries would accept wheat from areas believed to be free of the fungus, he said.

2.   Italy finally signed an agreement with Washington that it will accept wheat deemed fungus-free.

3.   Most were assigned to futures brokerage houses, rather than grain merchants, according to the exchange, suggesting traders will liquidate their positions rather than accept the wheat.

4.   Or speculators could accept the wheat and store it to sell later to someone else.

5.   Still, wheat millers in Europe and Japan have already warned American wheat industry trade organizations that they would not accept any wheat that has been genetically modified.

6.   The agency successfully negotiated an agreement with Italy and the European Union to also accept wheat from Arizona that has tested free of the fungus, he said.

7.   Mexico will accept US wheat without a certificate.

8.   Separately, the US Department of Agriculture said seven countries agreed to accept US wheat despite problems posed by a rare fungus, which is not harmful.