Interpretation on the Production of Summer Grain by Wang Guirong, Director of the Department of Rural Surveys of the National Bureau of Statistics of China

Interpretation on the Production of Summer Grain by Wang Guirong, Director of the Department of Rural Surveys of the National Bureau of Statistics of China

July 12, 2024     Source: National Bureau of Statistics

China Attains Bumper Summer Grain Harvest in 2024

Since this year, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, all regions and departments have conscientiously implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and effectively carried out the work of grain production, attaining bumper summer grain harvest across the country. In 2024, with a stable trend in the sown area and a growth in the yield per unit area, the output of summer grain recorded 149.779 million tons (or 299.56 billion jin), an increase of 3.627 million tons (or 7.25 billion jin) or 2.5% over the previous year.

I. The Sown Area of Summer Grain Remained Stable

In 2024, the total sown area of summer grain nationwide recorded 26,613,100 hectares (or 399.196 million mu), a year-on-year (YoY) increase of 4,500 hectares (or 68,000 mu), keeping flat overall. Among them, the sown area of wheat came in at 23,090,700 hectares (or 346.361 million mu), a YoY increase of 31,700 hectares (or 475,000 mu) or 0.1%. By regions, the sown area increased in 19 out of 25 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) with summer grain production, among which Sichuan, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Anhui saw an increase of 18,400 hectares ( or 277,000 mu), 15,800 hectares (or 236,000 mu), 14,300 hectares (or 214,000 mu), and 13,500 hectares (or 202,000 mu) in the sown area respectively. In some areas in the western region, the sown area of summer miscellaneous grains and spring wheat was reduced for planting corn and other autumn grain crops, and the sown area of summer grain decreased.

The sown area of summer grain remained stable primarily due to: First, the strict implementation of responsibility at all levels. All localities strictly implement the same responsibility of the party and government for food security, strengthen the protection and use control of farming land, forbid "non-agriculture or non-food purpose" of farming land, and fully explore the potential of the area through the development and utilization of winter fallow fields and the adjustment of planting structure. Second, strong policy support. This year, China has continued to introduce a series of policies to strengthen agriculture and benefit farmers, raise the minimum purchase price of wheat, continue to implement subsidies for the protection of farmland productivity, strengthen support for large grain-producing counties, expand the coverage of full-cost insurance and planting income insurance, and fully mobilize the enthusiasm of grain growers and localities. Third, suitable soil moisture conditions during the sowing period. During the autumn and winter sowing period of 2023, the soil moisture in the main winter wheat producing areas was generally suitable, and the sowing area of winter wheat increased steadily with suitable sowing time in most areas.

II. The Yield Per Unit Area of Summer Grain Increased

In 2024, the yield per unit area of summer grain nationwide recorded 5,628.0 kilograms per hectare (or 375.2 kilograms per mu), a YoY increase of 135.4 kilograms per hectare (or 9.0 kilograms per mu) or 2.5%. Among them, the yield per unit area of wheat came in at 5,985.8 kilograms per hectare (or 399.1 kilograms per mu), a YoY increase of 150.4 kilograms per hectare (or 10.0 kilograms per mu) or 2.6%. By regions, the yield per unit area of summer grain increased in most provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), among which Henan and Shaanxi saw a decrease due to the impact of "continuous rain" last year, and achieved recovery growth this year, with yield per unit area increasing by 426.8 kilograms per hectare (or 28.5 kilograms per mu) and 125.1 kilograms per hectare (or 8.3 kilograms per mu) respectively. The yield per unit area of summer grain in Xinjiang, Shandong, Jiangsu and other major summer grain producing areas increased by 109.1 kilograms per hectare (or 7.3 kilograms per mu), 81.6 kilograms per hectare (or 5.4 kilograms per mu) and 67.3 kilograms per hectare (or 4.5 kilograms per mu), respectively.

The yield per unit area of summer grain increased primarily due to: First, the generally favorable meteorological conditions. In the regreening, jointing, booting, heading, grain filling, milk maturity, and other key growth stages of wheat in North China, Huang-Huai area and other major producing areas, the light, temperature and water are well matched, the disasters are relatively light, and the meteorological conditions are generally conducive to the growth and development of wheat and the formation of yield. Some areas in southern China were affected by rain, snow and freezing weather before and after the Spring Festival, and the leaves of wheat seedlings were frozen to varying degrees, with the yield per unit area decreasing slightly. Second, continuous improvement in production conditions. All localities have further promoted the construction of high-standard farmland, vigorously developed agricultural socialized services, actively cultivated new agricultural business entities, developed new quality agricultural productive forces in accordance with local conditions, steadily improved agricultural disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities, and built a more solid foundation of grain production. Third, the initial success of the yield per unit area improvement project. All localities have refined the key elements for improving wheat yield per unit area, actively promoted wheat varieties with high and stable yield, lodging resistance and disease resistance, implemented measures such as land preparation with deep plowing, precision seeding with appropriate depth, and post-sowing suppression, strengthened the unified control of diseases and pests, continued to implement the full coverage of "one spray and three preventions", and took multiple measures to improve the yield per unit area.

III. The Output of Summer Grain Increased

In 2024, the total output of summer grain nationwide recorded 149.779 million tons (or 299.56 billion jin), a YoY increase of 3.627 million tons (or 7.25 billion jin) or 2.5%. Among them, the output of wheat came in at 138.216 million tons (or 276.43 billion jin), a YoY increase of 3.658 million tons (or 7.32 billion jin) or 2.7%. By regions, among the 25 summer grain producing areas, 21 saw an increase in output. Especially, Henan, which saw a reduction of 2.630 million tons ( or 5.26 billion jin) due to disasters last year, increased its output by 2.356 million tons (or 4.71 billion jin) this year, accounting for 65.0% of the national increment. The major summer grain producing areas, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, and Hebei, increased output by 424,000 tons (or 850 million jin), 233,000 tons (or 470 million jin), 185,000 tons (or 370 million jin) and 144,000 tons (or 290 million jin) respectively.

In 2024, China's bumper summer grain harvest has laid a solid foundation for stabilizing grain production throughout the year, and provided solid support for consolidating and enhancing the positive trend of economic recovery and continuing to promote high-quality development.