The number

607.1 million metric tons

China's grain output rose 0.9 percent from last year, reaching 607.1 million metric tons in 2014, according to data released on Thursday by the National Bureau of Statistics. The latest figure marked a growth in grain output for the 11th year in a row. Hou Rui, a senior NBS statistician, said that stable government policies toward agriculture and technology contributed to the rise. Heilongjiang, Henan and Shandong were the top three grain producers in the country in 2014.