Grain output to increase significantly, official says

The nation's grain output is expected to increase "by a large margin" this year, as overall damage caused by persistent rainfall in recent months was minimal, an official said on Wednesday.

This year's summer grain output was 145.8 million metric tons, up 2.96 million tons year-on-year, said Zeng Yande, who oversees development planning at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The yield of early season rice, whose harvest spans July and August, reached 28 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 725,000 tons, he said at a news conference in Beijing.

Zeng said 80 percent of the harvest has been completed for autumn grains, which account for the bulk of China's annual grain output, and an overall yield increase now seems certain.

The year's grain output will set a record by remaining above 650 million tons for the seventh consecutive year, he added.