September 15, 2011

China is likely to produce a record corn harvest of more than 180 million tonnes this year, an official from the State Council said Wednesday (Sep 14).

Rising demand may outpace the increase in output, meaning imports are set to rise, said Xu Xiaoqing, director of the department for rural economic development of the State Council's Development Research Centre.

The state-backed China National Grain and Oils Information Centre last month raised its forecast for 2011 corn output to 182.5 million tonnes, a 3% increase from 2010. China's corn is mostly harvested in October and November.

China uses 105 million tonnes of corn a year for animal feed, and rising meat consumption is adding to demand. Another 60 million-70 million tonnes are used in the processing sector for products including starch and ethanol.

China has imported 208,298 tonnes of corn this year, down 26% from the same period last year. Higher shipments from the US are expected in the corn crop year that started September 1.