Today (Sept. 23), the market for grains in China is shown as follows:

Domestic corn price decreased in some regions today. The price prevails at 1,990-2,060 yuan/tonne among deep-processing enterprises in Shandong with some declines by 10-60 yuan/tonne. At Jinzhou port, Liaoning, corn with 14.5% moisture and test weight over 700 g/L is steadily at 1,850 yuan/tonne from yesterday. At Bayuquan port, new corn in 2019 is priced at 1,800-1,820 yuan/tonne (test weight 720-730 g/L and moisture within 15%). At Shekou port, Guangdong, the second-class corn is traded at 1,970-1,980 yuan/tonne down by 10 yuan/tonne from last Friday.

Traders in Northeast China still hold stockpiles in hand, and the marketing of new corn in North China will speed up after mid-September, so new corn is in adequate supply. The quantity of corn arrived has increased largely in North China in recent two days, and declines of deep-processing price have enlarged, which are totally 20-60 yuan/tonne at the weekend. In addition, corn price may continue falling back with the ending stockpiling before National Day and speeding-up marketing of new corn after October.

Imported sorghum prices increase today. (U.S. sorghum: raw sorghum is 2,220 yuan/tonne and dried sorghum is 2,340 yuan/tonne at Tianjin port, and raw sorghum is not offered for out of stock in Shanghai, 2,200 yuan in Nantong, not offered in Zhangjiagang, and 2,150 yuan in Guangdong; Australian sorghum: bulk raw sorghum is up 20 yuan to 2,420 yuan/tonne and dried sorghum is2,500 yuan/tonnein Tianjin, and both out of stock in Shanghai, Qingdao and Nantong and Guangdong).

Domestic sorghum prices rise today. In Inner Mongolia, raw sorghum is 2,200 yuan/tonne and dried sorghum 2,300 yuan/tonne in Hinggan League; raw sorghum is not offered and dried sorghum is 2,340 in Chifeng; and dried sorghum is not offered in Tongliao. In Jilin Province, dried sorghum is 2,400 yuan/tonne in Changchun; raw sorghum sacks and dried sorghum with loading are not offered in Songyuan; dried sorghum is up 40 yuan to 2,300 yuan/tonne in Qian’an; sorghum is out of stock in Baicheng; and raw sorghum and dried sorghum sacks are not offered in Taonan. In Heilongjiang Province, dried sorghum with loading is 2,160 yuan/tonne in Qiqihar; dried sorghum with loading is2,300 yuan/tonne in Daqing, and raw sorghumand dried sorghum are not offered in Heihe. In Shanxi Province, raw sorghum is not offered in Yuncheng, bulk dried sorghum with freight is not offered in Jinzhong, and raw sorghum with freight and dried sorghum with loading are not offered in Xinzhou. 

Imported barley prices are mixed today. (Australian barley: raw sorghum is out of stock in Qingdao and Tianjin and bulk raw sorghum is up by 10 yuan to 2,200 yuan/tonne in Nantong; Canadian barley: raw barley is down by 20 yuan to 1,870 yuan/tonne and for brewing is out of stock at Nantong port, and raw sorghum is not offeredat Qingdao port; French barley: raw barley is not offered at Qingdao port and 1,820 yuan/tonne in Nantong; Ukrainian barley: raw sorghum is up 10 yuan to 1,770 yuan/tonne in Nantong and remains unchanged at 1,750 yuan/tonne in Guangdong; Kazakhstan barley: raw barley is not offered at Tianjin port and 1,620 yuan/tonne at Alashankou pass, Xinjiang).

Domestic barley price is flat today: it is 1,850 yuan/tonne in Heilongjiang. 

Importers with storage in hand are propping up prices on account of low barley inventories at ports and stubbornly high cost of Australian barley. However, sorghum price is now dragged down by weak demand due to falling corn prices.Meanwhile, port sorghum and barley have lost their price advantage against corn as its energy feed substitutes. Besides, the African swine fever has roiled the original trend of hog breeding cycle in China. Small and medium-size farms have withdrawn from the market and quickened the elimination of breeding sow since the first outbreak last year, and the pig amount has fiercely cut in those provinces reported with more outbreaks. Thus, it will be hard for farmers to rebuild confidence in short time under the heavy blow of the ASF, so that the hog and sow amount has been decreasing. Given this, grain market will be curbed by its later consumption. Generally, port sorghum and barley markets are predicted to keep steady with some fluctuations in the short term, and port sorghum market may be buoyed again by concerns over trade disputes, so market participants can focus on the outcome of trade talks.