July 4, 2005

China expects lower soybean harvest from delayed plantings 
 

China is expected to harvest 7 percent less soybeans this year compared with 2004, following planting delays caused by excess rain in Heilongjiang province. Heilongjiang is China's biggest soybean-growing province. 

Expected soybean harvest this year is about 17 million tonnes compared with last year's harvest of 18.3 million tonnes.

A fall in China's soybean production may boost domestic demand for imports from the US, Brazil and Argentina, in order to meet about half of China's consumption.

China's May soybean imports totalled 2 million tonnes, which was more than twice the volume from the same period last year. Imports are forecast to rise 41 percent to 23.8 million tonnes in the marketing year ending September 30, researchers said.