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December 12, 2000
Record Peanut Crop in 2000/01
China’s peanut production for 2000/01 is estimated at a record 13.0 million tons, up 0.5 million or 4 percent from last month and up 3 percent from last year. The revision is based on information released by the Ministry of Agriculture, which recently reported that China’s oilseed crop (peanuts, rapeseed, sesame, and minor oilseeds) reached 28.2 million tons in 2000, up 1.2 million or 8 percent from last year. Historically, peanuts comprise 45 to 50 percent of China’s total oilseed crop. Area is estimated at a record 4.5 million hectares, unchanged from last month. This is the third consecutive record year for China's peanut area. The strong domestic market for edible oils and favorable prices relative to competing crops has encouraged farmers to shift into peanuts.
The most important peanut-producing province is Shandong,
which accounts for about 25 percent of the crop. Other important
provinces are Henan, Hebei, and Anhui on the North China Plain.
Peanuts are also an important traditional crop in southern China,
particularly in Guangdong.
Estimated yield for 2000/01 is revised upward this month to 2.89 tons per hectare, close to the 5-year average but down from the last two years. The weather during the 2000/01 crop year for peanuts was mixed. The crop on the North China Plain was affected by drought in May and June, but favorable rainfall from July onward boosted yield prospects. Meanwhile, above-normal rainfall in central and southern China at the end of the growing season may have caused some harvesting and quality problems, but the impact on total production was expected to be small.
Soybean Production Rises on Higher Area and Yields
Soybean production for 2000/01 is estimated at 15.4 million tons, up 0.4 million or 3
percent from last month and up 8 percent from last year. The
revision is based on information released by the Chinese
government and trade sources which indicate slightly higher
output than initially forecast. Harvested area in 2000/01 rose by
14 percent to an estimated 9.3 million
hectares in response to high soymeal demand and low prices
for competing crops. However, China’s soybean crop was
adversely affected by unusually dry weather in the Northeast and
irregular rainfall in several important soybean producing
provinces in the North China Plain. Estimated
yield for 2000/01 is 1.66 tons per hectare, below the 5-year
average and the lowest yield since 1995.
The soybean information in this report is an update to China Corn and Soybean Situation, published in August 2000.
For more information, contact Paulette Sandene with the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division on (202) 690-0133.
