Global soy output may hike 19 percent

Thanks to record production in the world's big-three producing nations, worldwide soy production is seen to jump by 19 percent this year.

The US Department of Agriculture has increased more than 4 million tonnes to its forecast for world soy output in 2009-10, on improved hopes for US, Brazil and third-ranked producer Argentina.

The upgrade to the US harvest estimate - which is now expected to set records for both production and yield - followed findings of higher pod counts in crops major producing states.

Argentine and Brazilian hopes were raised on expectations of a rise in plantings.