March 18, 2011

Japanese ports face delay in corn unloading

Following the earthquake, Japan has experienced delay in unloading of at least 200,000 tonnes of corn, and majority of the cargoes will be redirected to southern ports, according to trading executives.

They added that around 7.8 million tonnes of compound animal feed - close to a third of Japan's total feed output - is produced in the areas around four ports that have been badly affected by the catastrophe.

They said two million tonnes of feed is produced in Hachinohe, 300,000 tonnes in Kamaishi, four million tonnes in Kashima and 1.5 million tonnes in Ishinomaki.

The affected area and extent of damage at ports is turning out to be much larger than provisional estimates, even as commodities trading companies scramble to revise the schedule of arriving cargoes.