China, the second-largest consumer of corn after the United States, may import as much as 35 percent more of the crop as a rapid increase in the demand for meat leads to more grain being used to feed chickens and pigs, the United Nations said.

As much as 5 million metric tons of corn may be brought into the country in the year beginning July 1, up from 3.7 million tons a year earlier, said Hiroyuki Konuma, assistant director-general at the UN Food & Agriculture Organization.