Chinese farmers produced 695.41 million metric tonnes of grain this year, up 8.88 million tonnes, or 1.3 percent, from last year. This is reported by
Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.

The total area under food cultivation in 31 provincial-level administrative regions was 119 million hectares, up 0.5 per cent from last year.

The national average output was 5.845 tonnes per hectare, up 0.8 per cent from last year. Despite the heat and heavy rains, some farms did increase production, but crops were destroyed in some areas.

Corn production increased by 4.2 per cent, while wheat and rice production decreased by 0.8 and 0.9 per cent respectively compared to last year. Importantly, soybean production also increased by 2.8 per cent 20.84 billion kilograms in 2023.

Despite unfavourable weather conditions such as severe flooding in the north and northeast and drought in northwest China, the government continued to raise the minimum purchase price of grain and subsidise its production to encourage farmers to grow it throughout the year.

Authorities expected an even greater increase in production due to increased planting areas and the use of higher yielding crop varieties.

Photo:
IStock