China is poised for another year of bumper grain and oilseed harvests, helped by increased planting of wheat winter and rapeseed, in addition to healthy growth of seedlings, announced the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture this Friday.
The world's second-largest corn producer posted a record crop of 288.8 million tons last year, but continues to seek higher production amid growing tensions with some trading partners, weather-related disasters and military conflicts.
China aims to increase grain production by 50 million tonnes by 2030, with a focus on soybeans and corn, although state media have reported that production is reaching a bottleneck.
Competitive prices and government subsidies have encouraged farmers to expand winter wheat and rapeseed cultivation, according to Pan Wenbo, director of the ministry. These crops are usually harvested around April or May.
Optimism in the agricultural sector: China reports healthy harvests and expansion in rapeseed planting
“I went to the main producing areas of Hebei, Shandong, Henan and Anhui and, indeed, the wheat fields are healthy, robust. Good seedlings lay the foundation for a good harvest,” Pan said at a press conference.
The winter rapeseed planting area is expected to increase by more than 2 million mu, intensifying last year's increase, he added.
The Chinese ministry predicts an increase in food demand due to the recovery of tourism and restaurants, boosting agricultural consumption. The Liugong law, from the Ministry of Agriculture, foresees growing demand with the economic recovery.
However, demand from the manufacturing and wholesale sectors has not yet recovered to expected levels, Lei added.
Source: Mei Mei Mei and Chen Aizhu | Notícias Agrícolas
