July wheat opened 6 3/4 cents higher this morning at 778 1/4 and established an early range of 775 to 784. Wheat opened higher in sympathy with higher corn and soybeans as well as higher outside markets and a weaker dollar. Heavy rains fell overnight in eastern Texas and the Delta. The central and southern soft red wheat belt got light to moderate amounts and this may be helping Chicago gain on KC today according to one floor trader. A senior agricultural official in Ukraine pegged their 2008 wheat exports at 8.7 million tonnes. Traders said today that the first new crop grain shipments have just started leaving that country. The rise to record levels by the Baltic Exchange's ocean freight index is expected to benefit Black Sea exporters such as Ukraine in that shipping distances are shorter from there to major markets in North Africa than is the case for wheat shipped from the US. The US will provide 500,000 tonnes of food aid to North Korea over a 12-month period starting next month. Cash markets are very quiet.