Some mills lower down operation rates as expected due to soybean shortages this week (Nov. 30-Dec. 6), so soybean crush at domestic mills totals 1,652,600 tonnes (meal 1,305,554 tonnes and oil 313,994 tonnes), down 122,750 tonnes, or 6.91%, from 1,775,350 tonnes in the previous week. Meanwhile, operation rates (capacity utilization) are 45.32%, down 3.65 percentage points from 48.97% in the previous week. Soybean crush is predicted to increase to around 1.71 mln tonnes next week and to 1.80 mln tonnes that following week. 

 

As of this week, soybean crush nationwide totals 15,368,200 tonnes in the crushing year of 2019/20 (from October 1st, 2019), down 1,939,385 tonnes, or 11.2%, from 17,307,585 tonnes of the same period last year. In calendar year of 2019 (from Jan. 1st, 2019), national soybean crush amounts to 77,409,615 tonnes, down 5,327,765 tonnes, or 6.43%, from 82,737,380 tonnes of the corresponding period in 2018. 

 

Fig.: Soybean Weekly Crush in China (2015-2019)

 

Details for weekly crush by region and by group are shown as follows: