Summer grain production hits record high of 150 million tons

China's summer grain production has increased by 3.625 million metric tons this year to reach nearly 150 million tons — a new high — despite frequent meteorological disasters, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

"This marks the largest increase in the past nine years, which will significantly stabilize prices and meet the expectations of the people," Han Jun, secretary of the ministry's Party Leadership Group, said at a news conference on Wednesday.

He said that since the beginning of summer, there have been floods in the south and droughts in the north, with some areas experiencing rapid shifts between droughts and floods. The crop area affected by weather is bigger than last year, but disaster prevention and mitigation measures have reduced the area affected by such disasters by over 400,000 hectares.

"The measures include accelerating drainage and desalination in waterlogged farmland," Han said. "In some places, the drainage ditches on the roadsides and fields are blocked and unable to drain. We are now focusing on managing these ditches to ensure smooth drainage. If water cannot be drained, corn will not survive after being submerged for three days."

The end of July and beginning of August are critical periods for flood control and drought resistance. Timely irrigation of drought-affected areas and tailored planting measures have also contributed to the increased summer grain production.

Han said that autumn grain, which accounts for three-quarters of the country's total grain output, is also receiving special attention.

"The autumn grain area is stable, with some increase compared to the previous year, and the overall crop growth is normal," he said. "As a large country … we must firmly hold our own rice bowls. There can be no mistakes in ensuring national food security."

According to data from the ministry, China's grain output has remained above 650 million tons for nine consecutive years. It exceeded 695 million tons last year — which equates to 493 kilograms per capita.

The self-sufficiency rate of soybeans has increased and supplies of cottonseed oil, sugar, meat, eggs, dairy products, aquatic products, fruits, vegetables and tea are also abundant.

Han said China had completed the construction of over 666,000 square kilometers of high-standard farmland by the end of last year, built various field irrigation and drainage channels totaling over 10 million kilometers, and established more than 27 million small-scale agricultural water conservancy facilities. Those efforts have provided crucial support for China to maintain its high and growing grain output.

Strengthening agriculture, benefiting farmers and enriching rural areas were underlined in the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization adopted at the third plenary session of the CPC's 20th Central Committee.

Han said that while increasing farmland yields, China has also been promoting increased income for farmers and rural revitalization.

The rural water supply coverage rate has reached 90 percent, and over 90 percent of villages have access to 5G networks. The levels of basic public services such as education, healthcare and elderly care continue to improve.

"In the first half of this year, the per capita disposable income of rural residents reached 11,272 yuan ($1,550), up 6.6 percent and surpassing urban residents' income growth rate by 2.1 percentage points," he said.

Last year, the per capita disposable income of rural residents exceeded 21,600 yuan, Han added, with the income ratio between urban and rural residents decreasing from 2.81-to-1 in 2013 to 2.39-to-1.

yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn