By Francesca Fontana

Grain futures rose Monday as traders watch the forecasts for an end to recent wet weather that has delayed harvest in the Midwest, analysts say.

Soybean contracts for November delivery rose 2.8% to $8.91 1/2 a bushel at the Chicago Board of Trade. December corn contracts rose 1.2% and December wheat contracts rose 1.5%.

"In general, (grain futures) started the week on a strong note," said Rich Nelson, chief strategist at Allendale Inc.

Rain and snow across the western Corn Belt has delayed harvest and might lead to crop loss, supporting futures prices. But analysts said they are expecting the weather to improve later this week, which will allow farmers to resume field work and could curtail the week's gains.

Meanwhile, the National Oilseed Processors Association reported the largest September soybean crush on record. Soybean crush for September was 160.8 million bushels, beating analysts' expectation of 157.4 million bushels.

"This speaks to where crush margins are in the world," said Dan Basse, president of research firm AgResource Co., adding that soybean crush has remained strong in the U.S. and abroad.

Write to Francesca Fontana at francesca.fontana@wsj.com.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 15, 2018 15:46 ET (19:46 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.