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What About Ethanol?
About 20 percent of China's corn production is for industrial use. This is similar to the United States, which is expected to use 20 percent of its corn crop for ethanol production in 2007. However, by 2010, ethanol production is expected to consume 30 percent or more of the US corn harvest. As opposed to this full-steam-ahead approach to planting corn for ethanol production, China is putting on the brakes. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) issued a paper late last year mandating a slowdown in development of grain-based ethanol processing, so as not to threaten the country's food supply, according to an article at China.org.cn. Future growth in ethanol production is expected to have the goal of using non-food vegetation rather than corn.
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