Today (Oct. 14), the market for grains in China is shown as follows:

Domestic corn price rises today. The price prevails at 1,870-1,960 yuan/tonne among deep-processing enterprises in Shandong with some rises by 10-30 yuan/tonne from last Saturday. At Jinzhou port, Liaoning, the price of new corn in 2019 is 1,770-1800 yuan/tonne up by 10 yuan/tonne from last Saturday. At Bayuquan port, new corn in 2019 is priced at 1,770-1,790 yuan/tonne (moisture 14.5%-15%) up by 10 yuan/tonne from last Saturday. At Shekou port, Guangdong, the second-class corn is traded at 1,940-1,950 yuan/tonne up by 10 yuan/tonne from last Saturday.

The sales quantity of corn is affected by rainy weather in North China, and the arrivals decrease in recent two days. Besides, corn inventory at northern ports down to a low level. And it does not see increment at early ports, and the arrivals of corn this morning are only 1400 tonnes. As a result, the price is buoyed by tightened phased supply, and corn price continues increasing by 10-20 yuan/tonne at ports and in North China. However, with the steadily rising quantity of new corn in northern areas, corn market is still under the pressure brought by large supplies. Therefore, the rises of short-term corn price may not be too much, and buyers can focus on the marketing of new corn in the late period.

Imported sorghum prices stay stable with some rises today. (U.S. sorghum: raw sorghum is 2,200 yuan/tonne and dried sorghum is 2,300-2,340 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 10 yuan at 2,430 yuan/tonne and dried sorghum is 2,550 yuan/tonne in Tianjin, and both out of stock in Shanghai, Qingdao and Nantong and Guangdong).

Domestic sorghum prices keep steady today. In Inner Mongolia, raw sorghum and dried sorghum are not offered for out of stock in Hinggan League; raw sorghum is not offered and 2019 dried sorghum is 2,280 in Chifeng; and dried sorghum is not offered in Tongliao. In Jilin Province, dried sorghum is 2,300 yuan/tonne in Changchun; raw sorghum sacks and dried sorghum with loading are not offered in Songyuan; dried sorghum is not offered in Qian’an; sorghum is not offered 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 is 2,300 yuan/tonne in Daqing, and raw sorghum and dried sorghum are not offered in Heihe. In Shanxi Province, raw sorghum is not offered in Yuncheng, bulk dried sorghum is 2,400 yuan/tonne in Jinzhong, raw sorghum with freight and dried sorghum with loading are not offered in Xinzhong, dried sorghum in standard bag is 2,260 yuan/tonne in Datong, and dried sorghum is 2,260 yuan/tonne in Shuozhou. 

Imported barley prices step down today. (Australian barley: raw barley is out of stock in Qingdao and Tianjin and bulk raw barley is down 30 yuan to 2,150 yuan/tonne in Nantong; Canadian barley: raw barley is 1,880 yuan/tonne and for brewing is out of stock at Nantong port, and raw barley is not offered at Qingdao port; French barley: raw barley is 1,800 yuan/tonne at Qingdao port and down 20 to 1,800 yuan/tonne in Nantong; Ukrainian barley: raw barley is down 10 yuan to 1,740 yuan/tonne in Nantong and down 20 yuan to 1,710 yuan/tonne in Guangdong; Kazakhstan barley: raw barley is not offered at Tianjin port and at Alashankou pass, Xinjiang).

Domestic barley price is not offered for out of stock in Heilongjiang today.

Sorghum is not a good substitute to corn any more in terms of prices, which in turn drags down sorghum prices. The same is true for barley, because importers with storage in hand are propping up prices on account of low barley inventories at ports and stubbornly high cost of Australian barley. Neither sorghum nor barley can be a good alternative option as the energetic feed to corn. In the meantime, the demand for them is also subdued by the African swine fever, which has roiled the hog production and cut the hog herd and sow amount in China. This will also curb the spot markets. 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.