Clear and warmer; the morning bus loaded and rolling at 8:31 toward the central business district. We were welcomed by Wil Brauer, head of media affairs Pioneer/Dupont. He is the fifth generation of his family involved in seed production. He was raised on a farm in Wisconsin and worked in Holland, France, New Zealand, California and Oregon. He gave a broad overview of Pioneer in China, corn production and free market in a socialist country.
Jana Shock, interning in business development with Pioneer, shared information on the logistics of corn production and growing population in China. Pioneer sells the exact same numbers of seed corn as in the US, however, in much smaller quantities. Farmsizes vary from one-half acre hand planted to larger government farms further west. Pioneer invests much time and resources into research and development. China plants nearly 40% of its corn by hand with the majority being hand harvested and the machine harvesting done primarily with ear pickers. Pioneer has a market share of 10% of the seed corn with about twice that figure being planted with priated seed. Most seed sold in 4000 kernal bags, some 8800 bags and some 20,000 bags. Normal plant population about 18,000.
Sam Y.S. Niu of US Grain Council presented information about the supply and demand of corn in China. Showed us a trend in the consumption of US ddgs.
He predicts a contined annual doubling over the next 3 years to a total near 20000 mt in 2015. Currently ddg anti-dumping investigation extended until june of 2012. Primary demand of ddgs in pork and Dairy industries.
Enjoyed a nice lunch of Subway sandwiches then traveled south to tour a Government dairy farm. Holsteins fed a ration of corn silage and alfalfa hay. Hay imported from the US costing $400 (US) per ton.
Reporter Jim Kopriva
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