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Cropland grows, bumper harvest tipped

By Tan Yingzi (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-17 07:39

Grain farmland will increase for the sixth consecutive year to 108 million hectares in 2009, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

Figures released yesterday show arable grain farmland will increase by 1.35 million hectares on last year.

The data also predicted a bumper summer harvest from 27 million hectares of farmland, which is an increase of 340,000 hectares on last year.

The remaining farmland is due for harvest in autumn and in winter.

Related readings:  Farmland disappearing more slowly: Ministry  China strengthens land management to boost domestic demand  Stimulus sops up farmland  China gives green light for farmers to subcontract farmland

Earlier this year, more than 40 percent of China's wheat fields were parched from the worst drought in half a century.

But drought relief efforts - especially in the breadbasket area of central and north China - have shown some success.

Production of pork, beef and mutton was 16 million tons in the first quarter, an increase of 6 percent on the same period last year.

Bureau spokesman Li Xiaochao said China had enjoyed a good harvest in the last five years with plentiful grain supply and meat production.

Total grain output was 529 million tons last year, up 5.4 percent.

The central government has continued attempts to stabilize the price of agricultural produce this year.

It will invest 716 billion yuan ($104 billion) in the agricultural sector, which is 120 billion more than in 2008.

The subsidies for farmers will reach 123 billion yuan.

The minimum purchase price for wheat and rice will rise by 0.11 yuan and 0.13 yuan per 500 gram.

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) estimated on Wednesday the total grain output would reach 520 million tons this year and meat production would be 75 million tons.

"The good start has provided solid conditions for the summer and autumn harvest," Yin Chengjie, the former minister of agriculture, said.

"But the rural economy is still facing many difficulties and challenges during the current global financial crisis as well as other natural disasters like flood and hailstone," he said.

Agriculture exports have dropped in the first two months because of shrinking international demand and trade protectionism in some countries, he said.

"Some products have declined in exports for the first time since 1998 and the export of fruits, poultry and fish has dropped by over 10 percent," he said.