China is on track for another bumper wheat harvest, Cofco predicts

China is expected to have a bumper wheat crop in the coming year due to favourable weather conditions, according to COFCO International executive, Duan Chen. The winter wheat crop, which makes up 90% of China's annual wheat output, is expected to increase surplus, leading to a potential reduction in imports. China, one of the world's largest wheat importers, has already cut back on purchases this year due to domestic output reaching an all-time high of 140.1 million tonnes in 2024. The surplus wheat is expected to be absorbed by the feed sector and government procurement. However, the escalating trade war between China and the US could further impact wheat imports, with China recently announcing tax hikes on about $21 billion worth of agricultural products in response to new US tariffs.

By Ella Cao and Mei Mei Chu SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China is set to produce another bumper wheat crop this year due to favourable weather, a COFCO International executive said on Thursday, with increased domestic supply likely to reduce the need for imports. China’s winter wheat crop, usually planted in October and harvested around June, accounts for 90% of its annual wheat output. “Supply and demand remain loose for 2025-2026, and the surplus is expected to increase,” Duan Chen, associate hedging manager at COFCO International, told a conference. Duan said winter wheat acreage remained stable and a good crop was expected under normal weather conditions. She did not provide production estimates. China, among the world’s biggest wheat importers, has cut back on its purchases this year after domestic output jumped to an all-time high of 140.1 million tonnes in 2024, up 2.6% from a year earlier. Rising supplies next year could further reduce China’s import demand, which shrank ...