Paris wheat ticks lower ahead of US data next week

PARIS, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Euronext wheat edged lower on Friday after gains this week as traders looked ahead to U.S. grain stocks data on Monday.

Drought in Russia and heavy rain in parts of the European Union were still causing concern about planting conditions, but short-term export competition from Black Sea supplies remained a curb on prices, traders said.

December wheat BL2Z4 on Paris-based Euronext settled 0.1% down at 221.00 euros ($) a metric ton. Over the week the contract was up 2%.

Chicago wheat Wv1 eased from a two-week high on Thursday, pressured by disappointing weekly U.S. wheat export sales. GRA/

"The market is hesitant with the USDA report on Monday," a futures dealer said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's quarterly U.S. grain stocks estimates are among the most tracked data by traders. The agency will also update its estimate of the U.S. wheat harvest in a separate report. USDA/EST

Concern over drought has been amplified this week by an estimate from consultancy Sovecon that winter wheat sowing progress in Russia is at an 11-year low.

In another sign of the impact of drought, Russia hiked its export duty for corn almost tenfold on Friday.

However, wheat originating in Russia and other Black Sea countries continued to reach export markets at competitive prices, traders said.

Traders said 12.5% Russian October shipment wheat was quoted on Friday way below EU prices at $215-$218 a ton on a free-on-board (FOB) basis.

Ukrainian milling and feed wheat was offered again to EU buyers at low prices, with Ukrainian 11% milling wheat quoted at 230 to 235 euros a ton in north Italy including delivery for prompt supply.

"We still see no signs this week of significant rises in Russian export prices despite cuts in Russian harvest estimates and the worry about poor Russian sowing weather," one German trader said.

"Even EU Black Sea exporters are looking expensive compared to Russia."

Traders said Romanian 12.5% protein wheat was quoted at around $238-$241 a ton FOB for October shipment.

International demand was light, with traders watching to see if Turkey would ease an import ban.

The European Commission cut its monthly forecast of EU soft wheat production to a 12-year low of 114.6 million tons, in line with other recent estimates of the crop being hit by repeated heavy rain in western Europe.

(Reporting by Gus Trompiz in Paris and Michael Hogan in Hamburg; Editing by Paul Simao)

((gus.trompiz@thomsonreuters.com;))