By Andrew Johnson Jr
 
   Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
 
 
   CHICAGO (Dow Jones)--Soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade ended
 mixed Friday, with support from meal attracting end-of-the-week short-covering
 in nearby contracts.
 
   CBOT March soybeans settled 5 1/4 cents higher at $8.74 1/2, and May soybeans
 ended 3 1/2 cents higher at $8.72. November soybeans settled 10 1/2 cents lower
 at $8.27 1/2.
 
   May soy meal settled $6.60 higher at $269.80 per short ton. May soyoil
 finished 82 points lower at 31.11 cents per pound.
 
   Spillover support from a bounce in soymeal futures coupled with some
 stabilization in equity markets after an early stumble attracted buyers to
 produce a choppy, two-sided session, analysts said.
 
   Futures initially slipped to new lows for the current price trend, pressured
 by bearish economic outlooks and weakness in outside financial markets. Fears
 of Chinese demand switching to South American origins and the likelihood of
 increased new crop acreage and ending stocks set the stage for early declines.
 
   However, as the day unfolded, futures found support on meal spillover, and
 tight nearby supplies reflective of the absence of deliveries against the March
 future, traders said. Lingering concerns about exports from Argentina amid the
 potential for unrest between the government and farmers was seen as an
 underlying supportive feature, a CBOT floor analyst said.
 
   Meanwhile, new crop futures remained on the defensive, succumbing to bearish
 new crop fundamental prospects, traders added.
 
   Argentina is seriously considering the nationalization of all farm trade, a
 source at the Production Ministry told Dow Jones Newswires Friday.
 
   The government would take over the purchase of all grains and cattle produced
 in the country and then resell the goods for export and domestic sale under a
 plan being studied "at the highest levels" of government, the source said.
 
 
   SOY PRODUCTS
 
 
   Soy product futures ended mixed, with soymeal emerging as the leader of the
 complex. Soymeal futures bounced Friday, recovering product share on a
 correction in the meal/oil spread relationship, traders said. Commercial buying
 in meal was a driver of prices, as tight nearby supplies reflective of light
 March deliveries pulled some end user buying off the sidelines, analysts added.
 
   Soyoil futures finished lower, declining on adjustments in the meal/oil
 spread and weakness from crude oil futures.
 
   May oil share ended at 36.57% down from Thursday's close of 37.76%. The May
 crush ended at 63 3/4 cents.