Operation rates see a slight rise in China this week (Mar 13-19). Soybean crush at domestic mills totals 1,568,610 tonnes (meal 1,239,202 tonnes and oil 298,036 tonnes), up 119,910 tonnes or 8.27% from 1,448,700 tonnes last week. Meanwhile, operation rates (capacity utilization) are 44.23%, up 3.38% from 40.85% in the previous week. Soybean crush is expected to be 1.52 mln tonnes next week and 1.62 mln tonnes in week 13.

Soybean crush nationwide is estimated at 6.89 mln tonnes in March at current utilization rate, against the 4.682 mln tonnes in the previous month and 6.5783 mln tonnes a year earlier.

In the crop year of 2020/21 (from Oct 1st, 2020), China’s soybean crush totals 43,105,954 tonnes, up 4,562,354 tonnes or 11.83% from 38,543,600 tonnes a year earlier.

In the calendar year of 2021 (from Jan. 1st, 2021), China’s soybean crush amounts to 17,615,016 tonnes, up 1,105,059 tonnes or 6.69% from 16,509,957 tonnes of the corresponding period in 2020.

Fig.: Soybean Weekly Crush in China (2016-2020)

Details for weekly crush by region are shown as follows: