Grains ease with Ukraine exports, economy in focus

PARIS/SINGAPORE, Aug 5 (Reuters): Chicago wheat, corn and soybean futures edged lower on Friday, curbed by news of further grain shipments from war-torn Ukraine and investor caution over the economy ahead of U.S. jobs data.

Mixed weather for U.S. crops and signs of renewed import demand this week helped limit losses, traders said.

Financial markets were subdued as participants awaited July U.S. jobs figures amid persisting worries over an economic downturn.

The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Wv1 was down 0.48% at $7.78-3/4 a bushel by 1202 GMT. CBOT corn Cv1 was down 0.08% at $6.05-3/4 a bushel, while soybeans Sv1 inched down 0.08% to $14.17-1/2 a bushel.

Three ships carrying a total of 58,041 tonnes of corn have been authorised to leave Ukrainian ports on Friday as part of a deal to unblock grain exports, the organisation arranging the operation said on Thursday.