BEIJING, May 16 (Reuters) - China, the world's second largest corn consumer, will reap another record harvest of the grain this year as it planted more acres to meet surging demand at home, while soy output is set to drop again, according to estimates from an official think-tank.
China, traditionally a net corn exporter, has become a major importer of the grain in recent years as Beijing strives to supply livestock feed to meet fast-growing demand for meat amid near-record domestic corn prices.
China is expected to see a corn output of 197.5 million tonnes in 2012, up 3 percent from last year, the China National Grain and Oils Information Center (CNGOIC) said on Wednesday.
China's corn imports in the year to September 2013 are expected to jump almost 60 percent to 7.9 million tonnes, according to a Reuters' poll.[ID:nL4E8G75B5]
CNGOIC projected a 7 percent drop in soy production this year to 13 million tonnes, after a 10.5 percent fall in 2011, as farmers shift to grow corn due to higher returns.
The lower soy forecast would continue to boost imports by China, the world's top buyer of the oilseed.
The center expects the country's wheat output in 2012 to grow 2 percent on year, while paddy output is likely to rise 2.1 percent to a record high of 205 million tonnes.
Despite increases in output in 2011, China's wheat imports in the first quarter of 2012 jumped 347 percent on year to 1.12 million tonnes, which is almost as much as it imported in 2011.
