SINGAPORE, July 22 (Reuters) - Chicago wheat gained more ground on Wednesday, underpinned by attacks on Black Sea grain cargoes and lower U.S. production estimates from a crop tour.
The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Wv1 climbed 0.6% to $6.82-1/4 a bushel by 0015 GMT, extending gains to a second straight session. Wheat prices have been supported in recent weeks by attacks on grain ships and port infrastructure in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov by both Ukraine and Russia.
There was additional support for wheat on expectations of lower output. Crop scouts on the first day of an annual three-day tour of North Dakota's hard red spring wheat crop projected an average yield in the southern portion of the state at 46.0 bushels per acre (bpa).
The estimate, released on Tuesday evening, was below the Wheat Quality Council tour's estimate of 50.0 bpa for the same area last year but above the five-year average of 45.8 bpa.
The Sovecon agriculture consultancy on Tuesday cut its forecast for Russia's wheat crop this year to 88.3 million metric tons, down from 88.9 million tons, citing weaker prospects in the south of the country and a smaller spring wheat area.
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