China to grow more corn in 2024/25

Corn production in China is expected to increase to 293 million tonnes in 2024/25, said a report from the United States Department of Agriculture attaché in Beijing, with improved yields overriding a slight reduction in harvested area.

The attaché said China’s corn output in 2023/24 was 288.84 million tonnes, based on yields of 6.53 tonnes/ha on 44.22 million hectares. While the latter slips to 44.20 million hectares, yields are projected to rise to 6.63 tonnes/ha.

In China’s drive to become less reliant on importing agricultural commodities, the Beijing desk cut its forecast to the country acquiring 20 million tonnes of corn in 2024/25 from 24 million the previous year. The report noted that China held contracts for 2.80 million tonnes of 2023/24 United States corn (excluding unknown destinations), down 63 per cent from the year before.

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While China has imported 12 million tonnes of corn so far in 2024, that’s a drop of 11 per cent from the same point in 2023. The attaché said of this year’s imports so far, 5.80 million has come from Brazil, with Ukraine supplying four million, the U.S. providing 1.80 million and the balance from other sources.

The attaché estimated feed and residual usage at 235.0 million tonnes, up from 223 million in 2023/24. Food, seed and industrial consumption nudges up one million tonnes from a year ago to now 83 million. In the end, China’s corn carryover for 2024/25 is to contract to 206.83 million tonnes from last year’s 211.85 million.