Grain futures mostly lower Thursday

Grain futures closed mostly lower Thursday with the dollar index up 0.05 percent to 79.93 on the International Exchange. On the Chicago Board of Trade, corn was off 2 3/4 to off 8 3/4, soybeans were off 1 1/2 to up 3, wheat was off 1 3/4 to off 3 1/2 and oats were up 1/2 to up 2 1/4. Corn traded lower with the dollar slightly stronger a day before the December contract expires. The European Union cleared export licenses for 583,000 metric tons of soft wheat this week, putting the crop year total at 8.6 million metric tons, well above last year's 6.9 million for the same time period. Soybean prices were mixed with net weekly export sales at 1,319,400 metric tons for the current marketing year, the second consecutive week of over 1 million metric tons. The prices: Corn: Dec 7.12 1/4 off 8 3/4, Mar 7.20 1/4 off 5 1/4, May 7.24 off 4 1/2, Jly 7.21 1/4 off 2 3/4. Soybeans: Jan 14.76 1/2 up 3, Mar 14.72 1/2 up 2, May 14.56 1/2 up 1 1/2, Jly 14.39 1/4 off 1 1/2. Wheat: Dec 7.93 off 1 3/4, Mar 8.08 1/2 off 3 1/2, May 8.21 1/4 off 3 1/4, 8.29 1/2 off 3 1/4. Oats: Dec. 3.69 3/4 up 1/2, Mar 3.87 up 1 3/4, May 3.91 1/2 up 1 1/2, Jly 3.91 1/4 up 2 1/4.