China to see bumper summer harvest, wheat yields and quality up

BEIJING -- China will see a bumper harvest of grains this summer thanks to stable grain acreage and improved crop yields, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said Monday.

Summer grain acreage is 400 million mu (about 26.67 million hectares) this year. As of Monday, 90 percent of summer grains have been harvested.

The quality of wheat, which is the mainstay of summer grains, has improved and its yield is expected to rise by 4 kg per mu on average, said Han Changfu, minister of agriculture and rural affairs.

Noting that the harvest is hard won, Han said the country has allocated over 1.6 billion yuan ($225.66 million) to the prevention and control of wheat diseases and pests.

The ministry urged local authorities to make every effort to complete the summer harvest and ensure every grain is brought to the granary, while asking them to step up preventive measures in the face of droughts, floods, typhoons and pests.