1.   Also pushing prices higher, the European Union rejected six bids to buy wheat today.

2.   Although food products are generally exempted from sanctions, the wheat industry may be affected because Pakistan uses U.S.-backed credits to buy the wheat.

3.   Corn could come from South Africa while wheat could be bought from Europe or Canada.

4.   A speculator who had previously bought wheat sold the position to the big grain merchandiser Cargill Inc. at the close, traders said.

5.   Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy said the Russian government was eligible for similar export credit guarantees and that Russia probably would seek to buy wheat.

6.   But there was some speculation Egypt would buy French wheat, which is cheaper than U.S. wheat.

7.   China and Sri Lanka have recently bought wheat from France and Canada, raising questions among traders that high prices are discouraging sales.

8.   Egypt did not buy the wheat we expected.

9.   Elevators, which buy the wheat and sell futures contracts on the exchanges, dropped their bids for the fresh grain.

10.   Iraq is expected to buy wheat with proceeds from its U.N.-governed oil exports, traders said.