China's breadbasket province expands planting area

HARBIN - China's agriculturally rich province of Heilongjiang has increased its crop planting area, which will lead to higher rice and corn outputs than last year, according to the provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs.

The department said the province has completed planting crops in an area of 14.37 million hectares, which is 33,333 hectares more than last year.

The northeastern province produced 75 billion kg of grain last year, which is one-ninth of China's total output.

Wang Jinhui, director of the department, said the province has slightly decreased the acreage of soybean and wheat compared to last year.