October 15, 2007

China's 2007 soy output to drop 9.8 percent while corn rises 2.4 percent 

China's soy output is expected at 14.4 million tonnes in 2007, a 1.6 million-tonne drop or 9.81 percent lower than the 15.97 million tonnes reported in 2006, according to statistics from the State Grain and Oil Information Center released last week.

Besides drought in Northeast China, the main growing region, decreased acreage was also another reason for the drop in output.

China's soy acreage is 8.8 million hectares in 2007, a drop of 480,000 hectares or 5.17 percent from the 9.28 million hectares in 2006,.

China expanded its corn acreage by 4 percent this year to 28.05 million hectares, 1.08 million hectares more than the 26.97 million hectares in 2006, the centre said.

The Spring corn sowing area in Northeast China and summer corn sowing area in North China have all increased, due to higher yields

China's 2007 corn output of 149 million tonnes would be 2.4 percent over 2006, an increase of 3.5 million tonnes.

Wheat output is expected to be 107 million tonnes, an increase of 2.53 million tonnes or 2.43 percent from the 104.47 million tonnes in 2006.

As rapeseed sowing area has dropped 5.95 percent to 6.48 million hectares, output is expected to drop 5.13 percent to 12 million tonnes, a decrease of 650,000 tonnes.