October 1, 2007

China next corn crop likely to be smaller than last year's: USGC

A tour of China's major corn producing regions has concluded that the nation would see a lower corn crop this year. 

The conclusion was based on field conditions observed by Gary Clark, Missouri Corn Growers Association and Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, and Todd Meyer, USGC senior director in China, during the US Grains Council's 2007 China tour.

Although analysts report a band from a 5-million tonne increase to an 8-million tonne drop, the general impression is that it would be on the negative side, by a significant amount, Meyer said.

The group toured corn fields in the North China Plain and Northeast regions, which produce account for nearly 70 percent of the nation's corn. Meyer noted that some fields that the group visited would have very low yields this year compared to previous harvests.

Regional drought and pest problems such as the corn borer and rootworm have significantly impacted production, he said.

While yields in the North China Plain would be near average, yields in the Northeast provinces would moderately decrease.

Despite these problems, the use of biotechnology has helped production by boosting overall yield consistency and quality, he noted.

Meyer noted that several biotech products are seeking approval in China.