CHICAGO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) crop futures traded higher on Monday morning as recent flooding hit the U.S. Midwest agriculture sector.

As of 1535 GMT, the most active corn contract was up 1.5 U.S. cents to 3.7975 dollars per bushel. May wheat was up 4.5 cents to 4.705 dollars per bushel. May soybeans were up 3 cents to 9.0375 dollars per bushel.

Flooding has not only hit farms in Nebraska, Iowa and other U.S. Midwest states, but also local crop processors.

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), one of the world's largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers, said on Monday that a negative pre-tax operating profit impact to the company could reach 50 million or even 60 million dollars for the first quarter.

Earlier this year, severe cold temperatures and snowstorms affected some of ADM's processing facilities in the Midwest due to a slowdown in rail and truck transportation.

Then in March, rain storms and quickly melting snow resulted in flooding, which again disrupted rail transportation throughout the region, leaving its corn processing complex in Columbus, Nebraska idled. As flood waters receded, the facility is currently running at reduced rates.

"Extreme winter weather has affected our first quarter North American operations beyond what we would experience in a typical winter," said the Chicago-based company in a statement. Enditem

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