GRAINS-Soybeans rises for 3rd session on U.S.-China trade hopes, winter wheat eases

eases@

* Soybeans at 1-week high as U.S.-China trade talks progress

* Winter wheat down on crop-friendly weather in U.S. grain-belt

(Adds details, quote) SINGAPORE, April 3 (Reuters) - Chicago soybean futures gained for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, triggered and Beijing. Corn also edged higher, but winter wheat prices slid for a second session as improving weather in parts of the U.S. grain belt weighed on the market. The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) most-active soybean contract gained 0.2 percent at $9.01-1/2 a bushel by 0356 GMT, while corn added 0.3 percent to $3.62-1/2 a bushel. The United States and China "expect to make more headway" in trade talks this week, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Tuesday, as the top U.S. business lobbying group said differences over an enforcement mechanism and the removal of U.S. tariffs were still obstacles to a deal. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He is in Washington just days after wrapping up trade talks last week in Beijing. He will meet with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Private exporters have reported the sale of 828,000 tonnes of soybeans to China, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The winter wheat market is facing pressure from improved crop conditions in the United States. In its first crop condition report for this year, the USDA on Monday afternoon assessed 56 percent of U.S. winter wheat in good-to-excellent condition, up from 32 percent a year ago and topping trade expectations of 55 percent. "The winter crop is looking very good," said one Singapore-based trader. "The winter crop is at a discount to CBOT wheat and that is mainly due to the crop condition report. K.C. hard red winter wheat fell 0.1 percent to $4.32-1/4 a bushel while CBOT wheat rose 0.4 percent to $4.65-3/4 a bushel. Winter wheat is at it deepest discount to Chicago futures since early 2011. The weather outlook boosted expectations of strong harvest yields. Forecasts for improving weather in the northern Plains, where the spring wheat crop will be seeded in the coming weeks, eased some concerns about flooding in key production areas. Commodity funds were net buyers of CBOT wheat, soybean, soyoil and soymeal contracts on Tuesday and net sellers of corn, traders said.

Grains prices at 0356 GMT

Contract Last Change Pct chg Two-day chg MA 30 RSICBOT wheat 465.75 1.75 +0.38% +1.75% 461.76 53CBOT corn 362.50 1.00 +0.28% +1.68% 372.09 37CBOT soy 901.50 1.50 +0.17% +1.95% 905.51 54CBOT rice 10.77 -$0.03 -0.23% -0.74% $10.77 42WTI crude 62.78 $0.20 +0.32% +4.39% $58.07

Currencies

Euro/dlr $1.122 $0.001 +0.08% +0.04%USD/AUD 0.7097 -0.001 -0.20% +0.04%

Most active contracts Wheat, corn and soy US cents/bushel. Rice: USD per hundredweight RSI 14, exponential

(Reporting by Naveen Thukral; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Richard Pullin)