China is a global leader in the production of a number of agricultural products \u00e2\u20ac\u201c from rice to pork to milk \u00e2\u20ac\u201c while also being the world\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s second-largest producer of corn. Yet the country is also the world\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s number one importer of soybeans.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153While China produces a tremendous quantity of agricultural products to meet the demands of its 1.3 billion people, it also imports a growing number of products to fill production gaps,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd said Rebecca Bratter, director of trade development for the U.S. Grains Council.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Of course we recall that China imported 1.4 million metric tons of corn (55.1 million bushels) and 2.4 million tons of distiller\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s grains last year and many analysts within the country expect those figures to grow over the next five years.\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd<\/p>\n
Bratter, who spoke at the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Ag Outlook Forum today, said the growth in feed grains and related products by China can be traced to its economic growth and a growing middle class.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153China\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s per capita GDP has averaged 9 to 10 percent growth the last three years and will be close to 10 percent this year,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd she said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Its urban middle class is expanding rapidly, and this increase in buying power is resulting in dietary changes.\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd<\/p>\n
She said China\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s per capita income of $5,000 today will soon grow to $10,000 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and continue growing after that.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Imagine 700 million people in China\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s middle class,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd Bratter said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153That is what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s coming in the future.\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd<\/p>\n
In just the last five years the country has seen a significant shift in agriculture production. Take the hog sector as an example. In the 2004-05 period, about 35 percent of the hogs in China were in commercial production facilities. By 2010, that figure jumped to 65 percent.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The switch to a commercial setting greatly increases efficiencies, allowing China to feed more people,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd Bratter said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yet it also increases the need for quality feed grains for those livestock.\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd<\/p>\n
While the hog industry has seen a dramatic change, the dairy sector\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s feed demand has grown 14 percent recently compared to just 2 percent for all other feed sectors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
China is a global leader in the production of a number of agricultural products \u00e2\u20ac\u201c from rice to pork to milk \u00e2\u20ac\u201c while also being the world\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s second-largest producer of corn. Yet the country is also the world\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s number one importer of soybeans. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153While China produces a tremendous quantity of agricultural products to meet the … <\/p>\n