USDA forecasts China’s 2017/18 corn production at 215 million tonnes, unchanged from last month but down 4.6 million or 2% from last year. Harvested area is estimated at 35 million ha, unchanged from last month but down 5% from last year. Planted area has shown a downward trend in recent years as farmers switched to alternative profitable crops such as soybeans, and rice, as well as returning land to pasture.