May 13, 2009
Asia Grain Outlook on Wednesday: Indonesia soymeal imports to rise - USDA
Indonesia's soy meal imports are expected to increase 6% on year to 2.6 million metric tonnes in the marketing year beginning Oct. 1, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture attache report.
"Despite the global financial crisis, Indonesia's economy is forecast to grow about 4%, so consumption of protein from animals will grow," said the report, which was received by e-mail Tuesday.
The report added Indonesia uses soy meal mostly in the poultry and fisheries sector.
Soy imports too are expected to rise to 1.8 million tonnes in 2009-10 compared with 1.4 million tonnes in 2008-09.
The report said the global economic crisis hasn't affected soy consumption in Indonesia, as imported soys are used for popular food items such as tofu and tempe.
Indonesia's soy production in the 2009-10 marketing year is likely to remain flat from 2008-09, at 800,000 tonnes, as Indonesian farmers are increasingly more focused on growing corn instead of soy.
USDA revises Bangladesh rice output up
The USDA has also revised upward its estimate for Bangladesh's rice output for the 2008-09 marketing year, which ends June 30, to 31 million tonnes, a rise of 7.6% on year. It added the 2009-10 rice output was expected to remain at the same level as 2008-09.
The agency said the country's winter-sown, or boro, rice crop benefited from favorable weather and state support to farmers, in terms of better availability of subsidized fertilizer, electricity and diesel.
The USDA added Bangladesh's rice imports in the 2009-10 marketing year could fall to 500,000 tonnes from 700,000 tonnes in 2008-09 as a result of persistent high output and large carryover stocks.
The country is also expected to import around 2 million tonnes of wheat in 2009-10, unchanged from 2008-09.