China is expected to feed a lot more of its domestic wheat crop to hogs and poultry this year after heavy rains reduced the quality of the harvest in the biggest growing region, boosting prospects for imports.

The amount of wheat consumed in animal feed is likely to increase by 10 million tons to about 35 million tons in the year starting in July, with a large volume consisting of sprouted grain, according to the latest forecast from Shanghai JC Intelligence, a China-based commodity consultancy.

The loss of high-quality wheat could increase demand for imports, with JC Intelligence raising its estimate by 1 million tons to just over 9 million tons in the coming year.

Chinese buyers booked some Canadian wheat last week, and are actively making inquiries for more grain, according to some traders.