The Future of China's Grain Market

China's demand for grain is likely to outpace domestic supplies in the next 10 years, according to ERS projections. By the year 2005, China will become a net importer of 32 million metric tons of grain annually. In the last two decades, China's grain trade has expanded dramatically, both as a buyer and a seller. Both China and the United States are major grain producers. How the grain trade between the two nations develops will be important to both agricultural economies. It is doubtful that China's farmers will be able to produce enough grain to keep pace with population gains and increased demand for feed grains to produce meat, eggs, and milk products for consumers.