China Corn: Production Increased Due to Record Yield
USDA forecasts China marketing year (MY) 2022/23 corn production at a record 274.0 million metric tons (mmt), up 3 million or 1 percent from last month, up 1 percent from last year and 5 percent above the 5-year average of 262.1 mmt.
China Corn: Production Increased Due to Record Yield
USDA forecasts China marketing year (MY) 2022/23 corn production at a record 274.0 million metric tons (mmt), up 3 million or 1 percent from last month, up 1 percent from last year and 5 percent above the 5-year average of 262.1 mmt. Yield is forecast at a record 6.37 metric tons per hectare (mt/ha), up 1 percent from last month, up 1 percent from last year and 2 percent from the 5-year average.
Area is estimated at 43.0 million hectares (ha), unchanged from last month, but down approximately 0.3 million ha or 1 percent from last year. In recent years there have been marginal increases in the major production provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Shandong, Henan, Inner Mongolia, and Hebei. This has been primarily attributed to incentivizing agricultural policies, such as reversing past efforts to reduce corn area, increasing crop rotation of grain crops, subsidizing corn processors and ethanol initiatives, and implementing other incentives.
The MY 2022/23 season has been characterized by favorable growing conditions across the major corn belt in the northeast and north central plains. In general, the Northeast Provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Inner Mongolia, where at least half of the nation’s corn is produced, experienced ideal weather conditions for a significant portion of the growing season. The conditions facilitated rapid planting and crop establishment resulting in favorable corn yield expectations. The favorable weather conditions support record yields in the Northeast Provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Inner Mongolia. In contrast, some minor corn production regions in the southeast (including Sichuan) have experienced anomalously high temperatures and dry conditions that may result in lower-than-expected yields. In sum, the major production regions have experienced favorable rainfall and soil moisture conditions throughout the season, thereby significantly offsetting low productivity in the southeast regions.
