Grain productivity remains strong despite rain disruption

Early rice production in China experienced a slight decline due to heavy rainfall, yet it has consistently exceeded 28 million metric tons for the fourth consecutive year, demonstrating overall stability, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, or NBS, on Friday.

The total production of early rice stood at 28.174 million tons, marking a reduction of 163,000 tons, or a 0.6 percent decline year-on-year, the data shows.

At the same time, the national early rice planting area remained steady with a slight uptick, while the yield saw a marginal decrease due to unfavorable weather conditions.

Wang Guirong, director of the rural department of the NBS, said that within the primary producing regions, early rice production in Hunan, Jiangxi, and Guangdong provinces decreased by 103,000 tons, 79,000 tons and 20,000 tons respectively, with year-on-year drops of 1.4 percent, 1.2 percent, and 0.4 percent.

Conversely, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region experienced an increase of 21,000 tons, reflecting a 0.4 percent year-on-year growth.

Wang said that this year, China continues to bolster policy support for grain production by further elevating the minimum purchase price for early rice.

Coupled with the stable and ascending market prices of early rice, farmers' income expectations from early rice cultivation remain steady, effectively stimulating planting enthusiasm.

He added that amid a challenging domestic and international situation, and frequent occurrences of extreme weather globally, China has managed to boost summer grain production and maintain stability in early rice in 2024, laying solid groundwork for a successful grain harvest throughout the year.