Today ( Sept. 18th), the market for grains in China is shown as follows: 

    Corn: Prices for most domestic corn remain stable though some further edge down. Corn buying prices in Shandong deep processors mostly stay at 1,810-1,920 yuan/tonne, some further down 6-20 yuan/tonne from yesterday. Main purchasing prices offered at Jinzhou port, Liaoning settle at 1,770-1,800 yuan/tonne for drying corn of year 2017 with volume weight 700g/L, 1,830 yuan/tonne for corn with volume weight more than 700g/L, 1,770 yuan/tonne for old corn with volume weight 700g/L,1,420 yuan/tonne for new corn of year 2018 with 30% moisture, all unchanged from yesterday. While new corn of year 2018 at Bayuquan port is pegged at 1,800-1,810 yuan/tonne in price; 1,750-1,770 yuan/tonne for old corn. Second-class corn prices at Shekou port, Guangdong settle at 1,910-1,930 yuan/tonne, unchanged from yesterday. It is an alternating period when new-season corn of year 2018 increasingly supplies the market and temporary reserved corn is still auctioned at 8 Mln tonnes every week, under which supply pressure is doubled. However, most downstream businesses are inclined to buy on a hand-to-mouth basis under contagious African swine fever, as thus, corn price is predicted to move downward when the seasonal oversupply pressure persists on new corn. However, new corns from Northeastern China just appears in small amounts currently, while temporary reserved corn is still in predominant supply as its turnover picks up momentum recently, pushing up basic costs of old corn ex-warehousing. And corn price at northeastern corn belt, at coastal ports is climbing also due to rigid demand on high-quality corn. Later focus shall be put on auctions of temporary reserved corn, weather in key planting areas and marketing of new corn. 

    Sorghum: Prices for imported sorghum at ports keep firm (US sorghum: Tianjin offers 2,200-2,210 yuan/tonne for raw sorghum, and 2,200 yuan/tonne for dried sorghum; Nantong 2,080-2,100 yuan/tonne; Shanghai 2,120-2,130 yuan/tonne; Guangdong 2,030-2,050 yuan/tonne. Australian sorghum: Tianjin offers 2,310 yuan/tonne for raw sorghum and 2,420 yuan/tonne for dried sorghum; Shanghai 2,400 yuan/tonne. Domestic sorghum: Changchun 2,400 yuan/tonne; Qiqihar 2,400 yuan/tonne; Hinggan League 2,200 yuan/tonne for raw sorghum, and 2,400 yuan/tonne for dried sorghum; Chifeng 2100 for new sorghum). 

    Barley: Prices at ports also keep stable (Australian barley: Shandong offers 2,060-2,070 yuan/tonne; Nantong 2,020-2,030; Guangzhou 1,920 yuan/tonne. French barley: 1,850-1,860 yuan/tonne. Ukrainian barley: 1,840-1,850 yuan/tonne). Import costs now remain record high for sorghum amid trade conflicts and dry spell in Australia-- sorghum July imports reach the nadir in year 2018, on this note, sorghum stocks are downsized at present and sorghum and barley imports will be inevitably low later. That also leads to strong willingness for higher offers among importers in case of unavailable low costs for grain sources. As new corn has been supplying the market recently, corn prices in North China chart consecutive falls when demand in feed makers goes stagnating afflicted to contagious ASF. Possibly, declines in price will further expand when massive new corn enters the market during late-September and October period, such languishing prices will then drag down other grains at ports. With bullish and bearish factors mixed, grain prices today at ports run stable, and shorter term sorghum and barley will mainly move sideways in a steady pace.