March 18, 2008

Italy imports 60 percent more corn in 2007

Italy, a major grain importer in EU, purchased 2.4 million tonnes of corn in 2007, a 60 percent jump on-year, while wheat imports dropped by 11 percent.

The country, Europe's second-largest corn producer after France, shipped only 1.5 million tonnes of corn last year. This year's jump in imports came mostly from Hungary and Brazil.

The jump in corn imports drove a 5-percent rise in overall cereals purchases in 2007, Italian cereals body, Anacer, said Monday.

Meanwhile, Italy imported less wheat last year, with shipments of soft wheat falling to 4.2 million tonnes from 4.7 million tonnes, an 11-percent drop. Durum wheat imports dropped by 8 percent from 2.2 million tonnes to 2 million tonnes.

Boosted by corn and other feed grains and products, overall imports of cereals and products to Italy in 2007 rose to 11.2 million tonnes from 10.7 million tonnes in 2006, while their value increased to EUR2.6 billion (US$4.1 billion) from EUR2 billion (US$3 billion).