The Rural Voice, 1988-01, Page 31MARKET UPDATE
however, are expected to exceed last
year's record. Harvesting progress has
been extremely fast.
Com crops in Southern Europe have
been hit by drought. In the USSR, corn
harvesting has been badly affected by
heavy autumn rains. The out -turn is not
expected to show any recovery from last
year's below-average crop of 12.5 -mil-
lion tonnes. Prospects in Mexico are
better than last year.
In Asia, maize output in China is
expected to show a rise of some 4 mil-
lion over last season's out -turn of 71.2 -
million tonnes, but prospects elsewhere
in the region are not so favourable.
India's monsoon failure is likely to lead
to a production cut.
Southern hemisphere prospects
remain uncertain. Planting is still un-
derway in key producing areas in South
America and Southern Africa. In Ar-
gentina, recent rains helped to speed up
maize sowings, which had made a slow
start. However, the area devoted to this
crop is expected to fall by up to 20 per
cent, reflecting dissatisfaction with
prices and a massive shift into soybeans
and sunflowers. In Brazil, too, many
farmers are moving out of maize into
more profitable soybeans.
In South Africa, the next maize crop
may not be much larger than the
drought -reduced 1986-87 out -turn.
While planting conditions have been
mostly favorable, the government has
introduced financial incentives for
growers not to plant maize and to divert
areas to grazing. Domestic support
prices for maize have far exceeded
world values, placing a considerable
budgetary burden on the authorities. In
Zimbabwe, where drought cut maize
output by half earlier this year and
sharply reduced surplus stocks, maize
output is expected to recover in 1987-
88.0
The information herein is taken
from sources that we believe to be reli-
able, but is not guaranteed by us as to
accuracy or completeness.
Ag -Com Trading Inc., located in
Exeter, is a cash grain merchandising
firm. Telephone numbers are 235-2520
and 1-800-265-7046.
THANK YOU
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Thanks to our customers 1987 has been a good year.
We wish you all every success and happiness in 1988.
For a quality used car you can count on
be sure to call----
RIVERSDALE MOTORS
where every vehicle is guaranteed
$Financing
Available$
Home of the Used Car Warranty
Hwy. 9, 9 m. W. of Walkerton
519-392-6113
HIGHEST INDEXING HAMP/DUROC
BOAR ROP TEST. STATION
October 29, 1987
Tattoo 73W Hamp/Duroc Boar
Index 137 B.F. 13.3 ADG 1.07 F.C. 2.21 Days 153
DIETRICH FARMS LTD.
R.R. 1, Shakespeare Ont.
Don & Ray Dietrich
519-655-2245
JANUARY 1988 29