June 9, 2008

Persistent rains hit China's top corn producing areas

Rains have waterlogged corn sprouts in Jilin and Heilongjiang, China's top corn producing areas.

Mao Liuxi, a researcher with the National Meteorological Center, said that low temperatures stunted young crops yet the temperature is forecast to rise quickly in coming weeks.

The center said that rainfall in the past week was 30 to 50 percent more than average in parts of northeast China.

Colder-than-normal temperatures hurt some young corn in the northeast part of Jilin, the report added.

Zhao Yufei, a dealer with Dalian North Futures Co. Ltd., said that it is getting late for some farmers to replant now.

Dalian corn futures surged due to the recent concerns on weather conditions.