Washington, DC
September 26, 2008
Higher corn yields are expected in
China for 2008 compared to 2007 resulting in 153.54 million
metric tons (6 billion bushels), said Cary Sifferath,
U.S. Grains Council senior
director in China. Sifferath and Charles Ring of the Texas Corn
Producers Board toured corn fields in the Northeastern provinces
of Heilonjiang and Jilin to assess the corn crop and formulate
an estimate of this year’s harvest. The tour consisted of four
groups of agriculturists evaluating nearly 300 cornfields.
“Our number this year shows a 1.13 percent increase over the
government’s number last year which was 151.86 million tons (6
billion bushels),” Sifferath said. “It seems there will be
better yield numbers this year although there were spots of
drought, wind and hail damage in some areas.” Sifferath said the
national average yield for all provinces is 5.28 tons per
hectare (84 bushels per acre) with Jilin province showing the
highest yield the tour saw in terms of production at 111 bushels
per acre. “Production acreage has been capped as the government
is trying to set up regulations to contain the loss of farm
land. Any increases in corn acreage are done so at the expense
of another crop,” he said.
Despite the improved yield numbers in 2008, there seems to be
little sign that China will begin exporting corn anytime soon as
the government has been trying to control food inflation. “The
government has virtually shut down exports of corn, wheat and
rice. Other than a few sales trying to go through, there are no
real exports going on at all, Sifferath said.” He also said feed
demand in China is increasing with more corn going into the
country’s swine industry, among others.
In terms of annual stock numbers in China, there are no official
numbers but according to JCI, an economic analysis company which
joined the tour, the estimated number for 2008 is 32 million
tons (1.26 million bushels) compared to last year’s number of 43
million tons (1.6 billion bushels), said Sam Niu, USGC assistant
director in China.
“The farmers in China are very efficient with what they have,”
observed Ring. “They don’t waste anything and family is the
central point of their work.” The U.S. Grains Council’s China
Corn Tour is conducted every year in the absence of reliable
corn crop estimates from the Chinese government authorities. |
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