News: UPDATE 2-China forecasts rising soybean imports to make up for less canola

(Adds table)

BEIJING, March 8 (Reuters) - China on Friday raised its forecast for soybean imports during the 2018/19 crop year to 85 million tonnes, up from 83.65 million in last month's outlook, after the country's customs agency suspended some imports of rival oilseed canola.

China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in its monthly forecast on Friday that even though African swine fever was reducing demand for soymeal in pig feed, canola imports were expected to fall, which would benefit soymeal consumption.

Canola imports are likely to drop after the General Administration of Customs suspended the clearance of canola imports from Canadian agribusiness Richardson International on March 1.

It said on Thursday it will also step up inspections of all Canadian canola cargoes until further notice.

Like soybeans, canola, or rapeseed, is crushed into oil and meal, with the meal used to feed China's huge herd of livestock as well as farmed fish.

The agriculture ministry did not give a forecast for canola imports. However, China's canola oil production would be 5.7 million tonnes, slightly lower than earlier forecast, as a result of increased customs inspections reducing canola supplies available for crushing, the ministry said.

Canola oil imports are forecast to fall slightly to 900,000 tonnes, versus 1 million tonnes forecast last month, the ministry said.

Corn consumption is forecast to fall to 283 million tonnes, down from 285 million tonnes in last month's outlook, the ministry said, as African swine fever continued to spread and forced farmers to slaughter their livestock, reducing demand for corn-based feed.

China has reported 111 outbreaks of African swine fever, a fatal pig disease, in 28 of its provinces and regions since August 2018.

The ministry added however that the disease is "generally controllable" and prevention and control is "gradually improving".

			2016/2  2017/2018  2018/201  2018/201   Percentage 
			 017	  (Mar	 9 (Feb.   9 (Mar.	  change 
					estimate)  forecast  forecast   
								  )		 )	   
   Corn												   

  Planted   44.18	 42.40	 42.13	 42.13		 0% 
  acreage										   

(mln hectares)

  Output	263.61   259.07	 257.33	257.33	  0.00% 
   (mln											 

tonnes)

  Imports	2.46	 3.47	   1.50	  1.50	   0.00% 
   (mln											 

tonnes)

  Ending	 7.18	 -7.73	 -26.50	-24.50		  
  Stocks											

(mln

tonnes) Soybean

  Planted	7.60	 8.25	   8.40	  8.40	   0.00% 
  acreage										   

(mln hectares)

  Output	13.60	 15.28	 16.00	 16.00	   0.00% 
   (mln											 

tonnes)

  Imports   93.49	 94.13	 83.65	 85.00	   1.61% 
   (mln											 

tonnes)

  Ending	-1.15	 2.22	  -3.40	 -2.05		   
  Stocks											

(mln

tonnes) Cotton

  Planted	3.10	 3.35	   3.37	  3.37	   0.00% 
  acreage										   

(mln hectares)

  Output	 4.82	 5.89	   6.04	  6.04	   0.00% 
   (mln											 

tonnes)

  Imports	1.11	 1.32	   1.60	  2.00	   25.00% 
   (mln											 

tonnes)

  Ending	 8.75	 7.43	   6.58	  6.98		   
  Stocks											

(mln

tonnes)

Sugar

  Planted	1.40	 1.38	   1.48	  1.48	   0.00% 
  acreage										   

(mln hectares)

   Cane	  1.23	 1.20	   1.24	  1.24	   0.00% 
   Beet	  0.17	 0.18	   0.23	  0.23	   0.00% 
  Output	 9.29	 10.31	 10.68	 10.60	   -0.75% 
   (mln											 

tonnes)

   Cane	  8.24	 9.16	   9.25	  9.25	   0.00% 
   sugar											

   Beet	  1.05	 1.15	   1.43	  1.35	   -5.59% 
   sugar											

  Imports	2.29	 2.43	   2.90	  2.90	   0.00% 
   (mln											 

tonnes)

  Ending	-3.44	 -2.54	 -1.77	 -1.85		   
  Stocks											

(mln

tonnes) Edible

oils

  Output	27.17	 27.28	 26.11	 25.91	   -0.77% 
   (mln											 

tonnes)

  Soybean   16.33	 15.87	 14.70	 14.70	   0.00% 
	oil											 

 Rapeseed	5.68	 5.94	   5.93	  5.70	   -3.88% 
  Peanut	 2.98	 3.12	   3.07	  3.07	   0.00% 
	oil											 

  Imports	5.78	 6.11	   6.45	  6.52	   1.09% 
   (mln											 

tonnes)

 Palm oil	3.34	 3.58	   3.90	  4.00	   2.56% 
 Rapeseed	0.80	 1.07	   1.00	  0.90	  -10.00% 
  Soybean	0.71	 0.48	   0.50	  0.50	   0.00% 
	oil											 

  Ending	 0.12	 -0.28	 -1.05	 -1.17		   
  Stocks											

(mln

tonnes)