May 10, 2007
China expects lower wheat and rapeseed output for 2007
China's winter wheat production was expected to fall to 96.43 million tonnes in 2007 from 99.31 million tonnes in 2006 because of drought damage.
A spring freeze in March and higher-than-normal temperatures in April may have damaged the winter wheat, according to The China National Grain and Oils Information Centre (CNGOIC)
The crop will be harvested late this month.
Rapeseed output was forecast to fall 5.51 percent in 2007 from a year earlier amid lower acreage.
The centre also cut estimates of the rapeseed crop by 350,000 tonnes from its previous estimate.
Many farmers had switched to growing more wheat instead of oilseed to take advantage of Beijing's subsidies over grain production.
The centre kept its forecast for 2007 corn, rice and soybean unchanged from previous estimates.
Meanwhile, in the US, a CBOT official said last week that a Chinese trade delegation would sign 15 purchase agreements amounting to 300 million bushels (about 8.16 million tonnes) of American soy. The agreement would be signed during CBOT's signing ceremony to be held on May 14th.
Forecast of major grains in China for 2007
(million tonnes)
|
|
2007* |
2006* |
2005 |
|
Corn |
147.00 (147.00) |
146 |
139.37 |
|
Wheat |
101.83 ( 99.20) |
104.47 |
97.45 |
|
Winter wheat |
96.43 ( 94.00) |
99.31 |
91.43 |
|
Rice |
186.88 (186.88) |
182.57 |
180.6 |
|
Soy |
15.00 ( 15.00) |
15.5 |
16.35 |
|
Rapeseed |
12.00 ( 12.35) |
12.7 |
13.05 |
