China set for bumper harvests of grains and oilseeds, ministry says

China is set for another year of bumper harvest of grains and oilseeds, helped by expanded planting of winter wheat and rapeseed and healthy growth of seedlings,the country’s agricultureministry said on Friday.

The world’s second-biggestcorn grower reported a record corn crop of 288.8 million metric tons last year but continues to aim for larger outputamid rising tensions with some trade partners, climate-related disasters and military conflicts.

China aims to boost grain production by 50 million metric tons by 2030, with a focuson soybeans and corn, although state media have reported production hitting a bottleneck.

Good prices and government subsidies have encouraged farmers to expand winter wheat and rapeseed planting, said Pan Wenbo, the ministry’s director-general of cultivation management.These crops are usually harvested around April to May.

“I went to the main producing areas of Hebei, Shandong, Henan and Anhui, indeed the wheat fields are healthy, robust… good seedlings lay the foundation for a good harvest,” Pan said at a press conference.

The area of winter rapeseed planting isexpected to increase by more than 2 million mu (133,333 hectares), extending last year’s rise, he added.

The ministry said China’s consumption of agriculture products will continue to recover, with demand driven by a rebound in the tourism and restaurant sectors.
Demand momentum will extend as the economy bounces back more, said Lei Liugong, director of the agriculture ministry’smarket and information department.

However, demand from the manufacturing and wholesale sectorshas not recovered to expected levels, Lei added.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Mei Mei Mei and Chen Aizhu; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Eileen Soreng)