September 9, 2005

China to face long-term corn supply shortage

China will face a long-term corn supply shortage as its population grows, said Zhang Lijian, deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences on Sept 5.

Supply is expected to fall short of demand by 23.01 million tonnes in 2010.

Corn's planted area in China is now at 23 million hectares, while gross production and consumption are at 126 million tonnes.

Stockbreeding, which is growing by 5 percent annually, requires a 4-percent annual growth in corn production. The current annual growth in corn production is only at 2 percent, which cannot fulfil stockbreeders' demand for corn.