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Sylvie Zhuang

China is on track for a record grain output this year in a boost for its drive to improve food security.
The harvest is expected to exceed 700 million tonnes for the first time this year, after nine straight years of production above 650 million tonnes, agriculture vice-minister Zhang Xingwang said on Friday.
At almost 149 million tonnes, the summer harvest saw its biggest jump in nine years, and the autumn harvest, which accounts for three-quarters of the total, had seen a “noticeable improvement” this year, Zhang said.
China, the world’s biggest crop producer and consumer, has doubled down on food security amid climate change, turbulence in the global market and growing tensions with the United States, which is a major agricultural exporter.
Zhang said severe weather events this year had taken their toll on agriculture, but the effect was “relatively mild” compared with previous years.
This year southern and northeastern China were hit by heavy rainfall and floods while some central regions suffered from drought.
Zhang said a total of 9 million hectares of crops was lost as a result, but this was 2.9 million less than the average in previous years.
“While a few individual provinces saw reduced production due to disasters, most provinces have increased production, so obviously, the country, overall, still sees an increase in autumn grain production,” he said.


Zhang said that planting more soybeans and corn had contributed to the bumper harvest. In recent years China has been working to reduce its reliance on imports of the two crops, especially from the United States.
He said the government had increased financial support for grain production to motivate farmers and was devoting more land to high-yield crops such as corn.
There have also been efforts to improve soybean yields with new plantation, irrigation and fertilisation plans.
Over 7o per cent of the overall growth in grain production was expected to come from increased yields per unit area, he said.
China is self sufficient in rice and wheat, two of the main staples, but “there is still a significant gap” between corn production and demand, and the country is largely dependent on imports for soybeans, an important source of animal feed.
“But the supply and demand for grain remains tightly balanced, with no substantial changes,” said Zhang, who vowed to spare no efforts in ensuring food security.
The agriculture ministry also called for advanced technology to play a greater role in improving productivity and reducing waste.
It said agriculture in China was less efficient than other industries and faced a number of environmental challenges and the problem of limited resources.


It also said a global revolution in agricultural technology was taking place and the country must work hard to catch up.
In recent years, regions that serve as China’s main grain producers have been frequently hit by floods or droughts.
Flood warnings were issued for more than 120 rivers in China this year due to heavy rain. As of August, five rivers had recorded their worst flooding on record.


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The authorities have been working to improve crop yields and food security. Photo: Xinhua

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Recent floods in China are threatening the country’s harvest of early-season rice, a dietary staple and a major component of Beijing’s campaign to ensure food security. Photo: Xinhua

Recent floods in China are threatening the country’s harvest of early-season rice, a dietary staple and a major component of Beijing’s campaign to ensure food security. Photo: Weibo

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China

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Minister says the country is set to produce more than 700 million tonnes of grain for the first time despite extreme weather events


Minister says the country is set to produce more than 700 million tonnes of grain for the first time despite extreme weather events.


Accidents, extreme weather and disasters in China