March 1, 2004

Chinese Hybrid Corn Seed Ample, Cotton Seed Needs Lacking
 
Supplies of Chinese hybrid corn and rice seeds are ample, but the supply of cotton seeds in Yellow River and Huai River basins is slightly short, according to a report from China's Ministry of Agriculture, local traders said Friday.
 
The total supply of hybrid corn seeds is about 1.32 million metric tons, compared with the estimated demand of 820,000 tons, MOA said. The supply of hybrid rice seeds is about 300,000 tons, slightly higher than the forecasted demand of 280,000 tons.
 
But the cottonseed supply in the Yellow and Huai River basins is slightly lower than the demand, MOA said, due to lower production last season. In the major cotton-producing regions including Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu and Anhui, the available supplies of commercial cottonseed are estimated to be 54,020 tons, lower than the forecasted demand of 67,550 tons, MOA said.
 
In 2003, China's cotton output was pegged at 4.87 million tons, 0.9% lower than the production in 2002, according to the official statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics of China, or NBS.
 
The total grain production in 2003 is pegged at 430.67 million tons, 26.39 million tons, or 5.8%, lower than the production in 2002, NBS said.