China '09 soy output in top producing area to fall four percent

China soy output in Heilongjiang, the country's top-producing province, may fall four percent on year due to area decline, said the province soy association Monday.

The province soy output last year was 7.52 million tonnes, according to data from Heilongjiang Soybean Association.

Heilongjiang soy acreage in 2009 is estimated at 3.82 million hectares, down 4.5 percent from 2008, it said, adding unit yields will be about the same as last year.