BEIJING (Reuters) — A large amount of corn in China’s main growing area has gone mouldy be-cause of a lack of storage space and delayed stockpiling at state granaries, state media reported.
Several million tonnes of corn had been left piled in the open air because granaries had not begun stockpiling.
Beijing started the 2014-15 corn stockpiling scheme in late November.
Television footage showed corn piled loose on the ground, covered with snow. Heilongjiang state produces nearly one-fifth of China’s corn.
The China Grain Reserves Corporation (Sinograin), the state stockpiler, said a high incidence of mould had resulted from abnormally wet and hot weather during the growing period.
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It did not give any figures but said authorities were investigating the situations.
Mouldy corn cannot be used for most animal feed production, and the situation could hurt the supply of good quality corn, although it may not cause a deficit because of large state stocks.
“A high degree of mould is reported, largely in the northwest parts of Heilongjiang province,” said Zhang Meifeng, an analyst with Jilin Corn Exchange. “Farmers don’t have enough space to store the grain properly after a bumper harvest.”
However, Zhang said the situation may not be as bad as last year, when 40 percent of corn produced in the northeast was affected by mould.
