Operation rates fractionally decline in China this week (Mar 27-Apr 2) as some mills suspend production due to soybean shortages or swelling meal inventory. Soybean crush at domestic mills totals 1,545,600 tonnes (meal 1,221,024 tonnes and oil 293,664 tonnes), down 18,380 tonnes or 1.17% from 1,563,980 tonnes last week. Meanwhile, operation rates (capacity utilization) are 43.58%, down0.52% from 44.10% in the previous week. Soybean crush is expected to be 1.52 mln tonnes next week and 1.75 mln tonnes in week 15.

In the crop year of 2020/21 (from Oct 1st, 2020), China’s soybean crush totals 46,147,134 tonnes, up 4,689,034 tonnes or 11.31% from 41,458,100 tonnes a year earlier.

In the calendar year of 2021 (from Jan. 1st, 2021), China’s soybean crush amounts to 20,656,196 tonnes, up 1,231,739 tonnes or 6.34% from 19,424,457 tonnes of the corresponding period in 2020.

Fig.: Soybean Weekly Crush in China (2016-2020)

Details for weekly crush by region are shown as follows: