News

China buys U.S. corn

USDA reported net sales of 69,476 tonnes of corn to China in the week ended March 13. That would be China’s first purchase of U.S. corn in seven weeks. The buy came as a surprise given the dispute over Syngenta’s MIR 162 has not been resolved.

The Chinese have rejected 887 thousand metric tonnes of U.S. corn since November because it contained the unapproved genetically-modified variety.

Reuter’s reports China’s biosafety committee is scheduled to meet later this month, if no decision is made on Syngenta’s application for approval the next opportunity would not occur until June. Syngenta first applied for Chinese approval of the variety in March of 2010.