大成生化科技停產致農民糧款拖欠
The shutdown of Asia’s largest maize refiner has left thousands of corn farmers in north-eastern China unpaid, adding to the unintended consequences of China’s policy of artificially propping up corn prices.
亞洲最大玉米深加工企業大成生化科技(Global Bio-Chem Technology)陷入停產，令中國東北數千名種植玉米的農民糧款被拖欠，這是中國人爲擡高玉米價格的政策的又一個意外後果。
China this month cut the price at which its state reserves buy corn, but maintained the minimum price well above international market prices. Inflated Chinese prices have caused state reserves to bloat and attracted unprecedented imports while destroying margins for corn processors, feed companies and other private agricultural firms that are the mainstay of the rural economy.
中國本月下調了國家臨時存儲玉米收購價格，但所維持的最低收購價仍遠高於國際市場價格。中國玉米價格被擡高已造成國家儲備膨脹，並吸引了空前大量的進口，同時讓玉米深加工企業、飼料企業以及其他對農村經濟起到支柱作用的民營農企不復盈利。
Global Bio-Chem Technology, the third-largest corn refiner in the world, has suspended all operations, Chinese media reported at the weekend, after announcements by the company that some of its lossmaking production lines had been halted. Calls to Global Bio-Chem went unanswered and the local government declined to comment.
大成生化科技是全球第三大玉米深加工企業，據中國媒體上週末報道，大成現已暫停所有業務，此前該公司發佈公告稱部分生產線因虧損已停產。大成生化科技的電話無人應答，當地政府也拒絕就此發表評論。
Farmers have protested in Changchun, the capital of Jilin province and heart of China’s corn belt, claiming the company’s shutdown has left them with unpaid bills. In one protest last month dozens of farmers knelt in front of the municipal government offices.
農民們在吉林省會長春（中國玉米種植帶的中心）舉行了抗議，稱大成的停產導致他們糧款被拖欠。在上個月的一次抗議活動中，幾十名農民在長春市政府門前長跪不起。
“We tried to find the boss but couldn’t find him. Many people in my village sold to them,” said farmer Lian Haikuan from Jilin’s Nongan County, who began petitioning authorities after bills went unpaid for two years. Mr Liao said he sold corn to Global Bio-Chem on credit because the company promised above-market prices.
吉林省農安縣農民連海寬（音譯）說：“我們想找到老闆，可找不到他。我們村很多人都把糧賣給了他們。”連海寬的賬款被拖欠了兩年，此後他開始不斷上訪。他說自己之所以將玉米賒銷給大成生化科技，是因爲該公司允諾的價格高於市場價。
“The government pays no attention to the people! I may as well go home and plant sweet potato!” one distraught corn farmer with three years’ unpaid bills wrote in an online post.
一名糧款被拖欠了三年、心急如焚的玉米農在網上發帖寫道：“當官不爲民做主，不如回家賣紅薯！”
China’s minimum price policy is designed to maintain stable incomes for farmers and guarantee national food security by ensuring they plant corn even if prices dip. But the market distortions created by the minimum price have left policymakers with a dilemma, since abandoning the policy could cause prices to crash.
中國的最低價格政策原本是爲了維持農民的穩定收入，並通過確保即便玉米價格下跌農民也會種植玉米，來保障國家糧食安全。但最低價格導致市場扭曲，令政策制定者陷入進退兩難的境地，因爲放棄該政策可能導致價格崩潰。
Hong Kong-listed Global Bio-Chem said in its annual report last week that it had suspended production of lysine, an ingredient used to feed pigs and chickens, as state-set corn prices stayed high while its sales prices fell sharply.
大成生化科技在香港上市，上週該公司在其中期報告中表示，因國家規定的玉米價格居高不下，而賴氨酸銷售價格大幅下跌，該公司已暫停生產這種豬和雞飼料添加劑。
It had also stopped refining corn into a chemical feedstock, as falling oil prices made its product uncompetitive. It also makes corn sweeteners and corn starch, which it said had been rendered unprofitable by high corn prices.
大成生化科技還停止了生物化工醇的生產，因爲油價下跌令它的產品喪失了競爭力。該公司還製造玉米甜味劑和玉米變性澱粉，但該公司表示，由於玉米價格過高，這些產品已無利可圖。
High raw materials costs have impeded Chinese corn refiners’ ability to export lysine. The Chinese industry accounts for about 80 per cent of global lysine production and about a third of its consumption. Domestic demand has dropped as poorer margins on pork-rearing and outbreaks of bird flu led farmers to cull animals. Lucy Hornby
原料成本過高拖累了中國玉米深加工企業出口賴氨酸的能力。中國玉米深加工行業佔全球賴氨酸生產的約80%，佔賴氨酸消費的約三分之一。由於養豬利潤變薄，加上禽流感爆發導致農戶選擇性宰殺活禽，中國國內對賴氨酸的需求已下降。
