China: China’s feed needs seen 10% up from last year

China had sold the bulk of its national corn reserves over the past years. The African swine fever destroyed a large part of its pork production. Although the government talks of a good crop, there are other reports of flood damage in the south and storm damage in the north, H. M. Gauger GmbH reported earlier in October.

The nation’s feed needs are seen 10% up from last year. In early September, the USDA estimated the Chinese imports in 2020/21 as follows: 99.0 mln tonnes of soybeans, 7.0 mln tonnes each of wheat and corn, 5 mln tonnes of barley, and 6.1 mln tonnes of sorghum; by now the estimates are considered much too low.

China already bought 10 mln tonnes of corn in the U.S., further U.S. sales of 3.4 mln tonnes to “unknown destinations” will probably go to China as well; total corn purchases for the crop year are seen between 20 and 30 mln tonnes (from the US., Ukraine and South America). Import numbers of wheat, barley and sorghum will be larger as well.

16 October, 2020