Aug 9 (Reuters) -Spot basis bids for soybeans shipped by barge to the U.S. Gulf Coast turned higher Friday, while corn bids eased as farmers sold stored crops ahead of the upcoming autumn harvest, traders said.

* Nearby empty barge freight rates along the Mississippi River at St. Louis, as well as from the Memphis through Cairo, ticked higher on Friday, traders said. BG/US

* The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed private sales of 212,000 metric tons of U.S. soybeans to unknown destinations. Of the total, 50,000 metric tons is for delivery during the current 2023/2024 marketing year, and 162,000 metric tons is for delivery during the 2024/2025 marketing year that begins Sept. 1, 2024.

* USDA also confirmed private sales of 132,000 metric tons of U.S. soybeans to China for delivery during the 2024/2025 marketing year that begins Sept. 1, 2024; and private sales of 100,000 metric tons of U.S. soybean cake and meal to Colombia.

* The flurry of export sales did not rally soybean futures Sv1, which set new contract lows on the day.

* CIF Gulf soybean barges loaded in front-half August traded at 80 cents over CBOT November SX24 soybean futures, traders said.

* CIF Gulf soybean barges loaded in August were bid at 73 cents over CBOT November SX24 soybean futures, up 3 cents from Thursday. September soybean barges were bid at 65 cents over futures, up 4 cents.

* FOB export premiums for Gulf soybean loadings in the first half of September were steady at about 112 cents over November SX24 futures. Premiums for last-half September shipments were offered at around 87 cents over futures, up 1 cent.

* For corn, CIF Gulf barges loaded in August were bid at 61 cents over CBOT September CU24 corn futures, down 4 cents from Thursday. September corn barges were bid at 71 cents over futures, down 3 cents.

* FOB offers for Gulf corn shipments loaded in September were down 1 cent at 85 cents over futures.

Reporting by P.J. Huffstutter; Editing by Mohammed Safi Shamsi

For displays of CIF basis, click on the codes in brackets: U.S. CIF Gulf soybeans GRYM U.S. CIF Gulf corn GRYN U.S. CIF Gulf SRW wheat GRYO U.S. CIF Gulf HRW wheat GRYP
For displays of FOB basis, please click on the following codes in brackets: U.S. FOB Gulf corn GRZC U.S. FOB Gulf soybeans GRZD U.S. FOB Gulf SRW wheat GRZE U.S. FOB Gulf HRW wheat GRZF LINKS Corn prices page: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageid=corn-cash-market
Wheat prices page: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageid=wheat-cash-market
U.S. barge freight BG/US
U.S. export sales estimates USDA/EST
U.S. grain export summary GRA/U
Brazil soybean export prices SYBS
Brazil corn export prices SYBX
Argentina grain prices GRA/ARG
Russia grain prices GRA/RU