April 25, 2008

Malaysia's corn imports to hike by 8 percent in 2008

Malaysia's corn imports are seen to increase by 8 percent to 2.7 million tonnes this year as the country reins in rice use by the feed industry, a US industry official said Thursday.

Adel Yusupov, Southeast Asia's regional director for the US Grains Council, confirmed that Malaysia will import more corn as corn sales are going up.

Previously, rice was used into the feed channels, yet now rice has become too expensive, which prompted the government to shut down rice going to feed production, he explained.

Malaysia, one of Asia's top poultry consumers, ships most of its corn from South America and the US.