Today (Oct. 17), the market for grains in China is shown as follows:

Domestic corn price rises today. The price prevails at 1,900-1,980 yuan/tonne among deep-processing enterprises in Shandong with some rises by 10-20 yuan/tonne from yesterday. At Jinzhou port, Liaoning, the price of new corn in 2019 is 1,780-1820 yuan/tonne unchanged with yesterday. At Bayuquan port, new corn in 2019 is steadily priced at 1,790-1,810 yuan/tonne (moisture 14.5%-15%) from yesterday. At Shekou port, Guangdong, the second-class corn is steadily traded at 1,960 yuan/tonne from yesterday.

The auction of temporary reserved corn is ending with a auction rate of 3.13%, and the auction expiration brings some psychological support for market. In addition, corn inventory still stays at a low level at southern and northern ports, and the cost is pushed up by rising freight. Corn stock at ports shows a relatively strong uptrend in recent two days. However, the weather in North China clears, and arrivals of enterprises increase with a continuous price increase. And corn price today stops rising and turns stable. Besides, with the steadily rising quantities of new corn, the market is still under pressure from marketing. Therefore, buyers can focus on the pace of new corn marketing in the late period.

Imported sorghum prices stay stable today. (U.S. sorghum: raw sorghum is 2,150 yuan/tonne and dried sorghum is 2,280 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 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 remain unchanged today. (Nantong port: Canadian brewing barley is not offered; Qingdao port: Canadian brewing barley is 1,880 yuan/tonne and French brewing barley is 2,030 yuan/tonne. Australian barley: raw barley is out of stock in Qingdao and 2,400 yuan/tonne in Tianjin, and bulk raw barley is 2,150 yuan/tonne in Nantong; Canadian barley: raw barley is 1,880 yuan/tonneat Nantong port and not offered at Qingdao port; French barley: raw barley is not offered at Qingdao port and 1,800 yuan/tonne in Nantong; Ukrainian barley: raw barley is 1,740 yuan/tonne in Nantong and 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.