Country News
Argentina: The Buenos Aires Grain Exchange maintained its estimate for corn planting at 6.3 million hectares. There was no reduction in the estimate due to improved moisture conditions. (Reuters)
Brazil: While ASF has challenged total feed demand, the Corn Ethanol National Union says that five new ethanol plants are being built in Mato Grosso plus others are in the works. Conab predicts that corn exports will fall 15 percent due to increased demand for ethanol feedstock. (S&P Global Platts; AgriCensus)
Canada: Stats Canada pegged the 2019 corn yield at 147.2 bushels/acre, down 5.8 percent from the five-year average. The yield forecast for 2020 based on the five-year average calls for 162.2 bushels/acre. (DTN)
China: Damage from the Fall army work will expand in 2020 into the main corn growing area of the northeast, according to the National Agriculture Technology Extension Service Center. The pest did damage to 1.13 million hectares in 2019. The Agriculture Ministry has not given approval for any new GMO crops to be grown domestically in a decade but now will approve two varieties developed by their domestic research facilities, Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group and Zhejiang University. (Reuters; Bloomberg)
India: State buyer MMTC tendered for 50 KMT of corn imports as New Delhi considers increasing the import duty. (AgriCensus)
Japan: The share of corn in animal feed rose in October to 48.4 percent, up 0.6 percent from a year ago. Sorghum’s share of feed was 1.7 percent and barley was 3.5 percent. (Reuters)
South Korea: NOFI missed on its bid for corn but MFG bought corn privately. (AgriCensus)
Taiwan: MFIG bought 69 KMT of corn for delivery in May from Engelhart Commodities Trading Partners (ECTP) at 157 cents over July. (AgriCensus)
Turkey: According to Turkstat, barley production is up 8.6 percent. (AgriCensus)
Uruguay: Corn is replacing soybean production due to the increase in livestock exports to China. (AgriCensus)
Zimbabwe: The UN advises that the country is likely to have another poor maize harvest in 2020 due to continued spotty rains. (Refinitiv)