21.   Farmers in some areas have had to cancel spring planting for lack of water.

22.   Investors continued to closely watch new-crop conditions and delayed spring wheat plantings.

23.   Market-watchers said investors were concerned about more rain forecast this weekend for the northern Plains, which would delay spring wheat plantings.

24.   Spring planting neared completion although wet soil conditions have hampered progress in portions of Iowa and Wisconsin.

25.   Spring wheat plantings, particularly in South Dakota and Minnesota, continued to run well behind schedule.

26.   The civil unrest could harm harvests of winter crops as well as the planting this spring of cereals.

27.   The milder conditions are expected to speed spring planting.

28.   The wet weather and flooding has slowed corn, soybean and spring wheat planting and promoted the spread of disease in Midwestern winter wheat.

29.   Agriculture Minister Liu Jiang on Thursday urged local authorities to intensify spring planting and take preventative measures against natural catastrophes.

30.   Winter wheat stocks were set back due to rains during spring harvests and spring plantings in the northern plains were plagued by disease and insects.