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South Korea's NOFI offers to purchase up to 138,000 metric tonnes corn

European traders reported on Thursday that the leading South Korean feed manufacturer Nonghyup Feed Inc. (NOFI) had issued an international bid to purchase up 138,000 metric tonnes of animal feed corn.

The deadline to submit price offers for the tender is Thursday, December 19, also.

Two consignments of between 45,000 and 69,000 tonnes of corn are expected to arrive in South Korea in March 2025.

The traders believe the corn came only from America, South America, or South Africa. The first consignment of corn was expected to arrive in South Korea by March 15.

The shipment must be received between February 10 and March 1 if it is sourced from U.S. Pacific Northwest Coast, or from U.S. Gulf coast between January 21 and February 9, South America between January 16 and february 4, and South Africa between the dates of Jan. 26 to Feb. 14.

Around March 25, the second corn shipment is expected to arrive in South Korea.

If you are sourcing from the U.S. Pacific Northwest Coast, the shipment will be between February 20 and March 11. From the U.S. Gulf of Mexico between January 31 and February 19, or South America between January 26 and february 14, or South Africa between the dates of Feb. 5 to Feb. 24.

The sellers have the right of choice in the origins they supply. Traders said that they were looking for offers in both outright prices per tonne c&f as well as a premium to the Chicago March 2025 Corn contract.

The Feed Leaders Committee of South Korea (FLC) purchased around 65,000 tonnes of feed corn on Wednesday in a private transaction without launching an international tender.

Due to the forecast of lower U.S. stocks, Asian buyers have shown an increased interest in corn. (Reporting and editing by Abinaya VIjayaraghavan, with Michael Hogan)

(source: Reuters)