Serious drought cut yields sharply on as much as 15 percent of corn land in China, second to the United States as the world’s top producer, says USDA. It estimates the harvest at 214 million tonnes, down 8 million tonnes from estimates made before the brunt of the dry weather was felt. “Widespread rainfall in September ended the drought and provided limited help to late-maturing corn on the North China Plain…Local sources report that overall crop quality is very good and better than last year, said the World Agricultural Production report.
Europe will harvest a record corn crop of 73.1 million tonnes, up 3 percent from the estimate made a month ago and 14 percent larger than last year, said USDA, pointing to the beneficial effects of above-average rainfall since June. Production was up the most in southeastern Europe; up 7 percent in Hungary and 5 percent in Romania compared to October estimates. Output in the two largest growers was unchanged – France, at 17 million tonnes, and Italy, 8.2 million tonnes.