Today ( Sept. 25th), the market for grains in China is shown as follows:

    Corn: Today domestic corn prices mostly keep stable, some seeing declines. The procurement price in Shandong further processing companies are mostly stable at 1,770-1,914 yuan/tonne, up 8-40 partially from last Friday, and the price is 1,740-1,834 in Henan, down 26-60 from last Friday; in Jinzhou port, Liaoning, the prevailing purchasing price for 2017 dried corn is 1,770-1,800 yuan/tonne (volume weight 700) and 1,830 yuan/tonne for volume weight over 720, both unchanged from last Friday, and 1,770-1,800 for old corns, unchanged from last Friday, and 1460 yuan/tonne (volume weight 700) for 2018 new corn with 30% moisture and 1,800-1,820 for those with 15% moisture, both remaining unchanged from last Friday. In Bayuqan port, Liaoning, 2018 new corn is priced at 1,800 yuan/tonne, and old corn at 1,740-1,750 yuan/tonne, both holding the line of last Friday; in Shekou port, Guangdong, price for second-class old corn is 1,910-1,930 yuan/tonne, holding the line of yesterday. New corn is harvested massively in Henan and Anhui and enters into market, and will gradually go marketing in Shandong and Hebei after the National Day. Despite such seasonal oversupply, downstream companies are inactive in purchasing, and most further processing companies take a hand-to-mouth purchasing tactic under the crippled feed consumption by ASF. So corn price is cracked down and suffers some declines steadily, with Henan and Anhui seeing a decrease of 20-60 yuan/tonne. However, new corn in Northeastern China still shows up in small amount, and auctions of temporary reserved corns still go well under the rigid demand for high-quality old corn from distribution areas, so corn price continues to keep firm. Later focus shall be put on the weather in main planting area, new corn marketing and deals clinched on temporary reserved corn auctions. 

    Sorghum: Prices for imported sorghum at ports keep firm (US sorghum: Tianjin offers 2,080-2,010 yuan/tonne; Shanghai 2,120-2,130 yuan/tonne; Guangdong 2,030-2,050 yuan/tonne. Australian sorghum: Tianjin offers 2,310 yuan/tonne for raw sorghum and 2,400-2,410 yuan/tonne for dried sorghum; Shanghai 2,400 yuan/tonne; Qingdao 2,400 yuan/tonne for raw sorghum, and 2,500 yuan/tonne for dried sorghum. Domestic sorghum: Changchun 2,360 yuan/tonne, down 40; Daqing in Heilongjiang 2,400 yuan/tonne; Chifeng in Inner Mongolia 1,900-1,940 yuan/tonne for new and raw sorghum, down 100, and 2,240 yuan/tonne for sorghum upon loading; Hinggan League 2,100 yuan/tonne for raw sorghum, down 100; 2,200-2,240 yuan/tonne for dried sorghum, down 160 ). 

    Barley: Prices at ports also keep stable (Australian barley: Shandong offers 2,040 yuan/tonne; Nantong 2,010-2,030; Guangzhou 1,910 yuan/tonne. French barley: Nantong 1,950 yuan/tonne; Guangdong 1,840-1,850 yuan/tonne. Canadian barley: Nantong 1,960 yuan/tonne. Ukrainian barley: Guangdong 1,830-1,840 yuan/tonne). China’s trade tensions with the US go escalating for China canceled trade talks scheduled this week after the US taxed 200 billion U.S. dollars worth of Chinese products. Amid such trade conflicts, Chinese buyers show no interest in US sorghum purchases as the import costs are surprisingly high, so as Australian sorghum costs due to dry spell recently. Notably, sorghum July imports reach the nadir in year 2018, which leads to strong willingness for higher offers among importers in case of unavailable low costs for grain sources. Nonetheless, sprawling ASF dampens replenishment of breeding pigs, as a result, feed consumption is seen cut and grain delivery at ports also goes slack, in addition, languishing corn prices drag down its alternatives barley and sorghum when corn still grasps the price advantage. With bullish and bearish factors hovering above the market, grains like sorghum and barley today go steady in price at ports, and shorter term, are mainly to move sideways narrowly and steadily.