China's grain output rises nearly 6 times in 70 years

China will have another harvest of grains provided there are no major natural disasters this autumn, said an agriculture official, as the country's grain output last year reached 657.89 million tons, almost 6 times that of 1949.

The general situation for grain production remains positive across the country, showing a trend of increasing production, except for draughts and floods in some areas, said an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

China has already reaped a harvest of summer grains and early season rice, and farmers started to harvest in some places, said the official, and a bumper harvest is expected if no disasters like typhoons or chilly winds occur.

In 70 years, China's grain production has stepped up to a new level, changing from a shortage of grain supply in general to a basic balance of supply and demand.

The country's grain output stood at 657.89 million tons in 2018, down by 3.71 million tons or 0.6 percent from a year earlier, according to official data. In 1949, the grain output was only 113.18 million tons.

The grain output reached 300 million tons in 1978, 500 million tons in 1996, and 600 million tons in 2012.

The output per mu (666.67 square meters) was 68.6 kilograms in 1949, 100 kilograms in 1965, 200 kilograms in 1982, 300 kilograms in 1998 and 374.7 kilograms in 2018.

The per capita grain possession was 209 kilograms in 1949 and more than 470 kilograms in 2018, higher than the world average level.

In 70 years, agricultural science and technology, such as water-saving irrigation and plastic film mulching, have been widely promoted and contributed much to agricultural production. The contribution rate reached 58.3 percent in 2018.

At present, the utilization rates of pesticides and fertilizers hit 38.8 percent and 37.8 percent, respectively, in planting rice, wheat and corn.

China has 43 million hectares of farmland built with high standards which have a high and stable yield, while farmland with effective irrigation exceeds 67 million hectares.

China also boasts a high level of agricultural mechanization. In 1949, China had only 13 combine harvesters, and in 2018, there were 22.38 million tractors, including more than 2 million combine harvesters.