China plans to harvest a record grain crop this year

Grain production in China may reach a record level this year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of China.

“Significant volumes of agricultural supply and sustainable development of livestock have laid a good foundation for the country’s economic recovery,” said the head of the Bureau on Wednesday at a press conference on the economic situation in the country for the first three quarters.

The economy is recovering from the damage caused by Covid-19 over the past three years. This year, for the first time, strict Covid control measures were lifted, and the country’s GDP grew by 4.9% year-on-year in the third quarter.

Due to unfavorable weather conditions, the country’s summer grain production decreased by 0.9% year-on-year to 292.3 billion jin or 146.13 million tons, the second lowest in history. However, autumn production is going very well due to the increase in sowing areas and precipitation in the northern region, so the total grain harvest this year could be a record. In particular, early rice production amounted to 56.7 billion jin, which is 0.8% higher than last year.

Sales of pigs in the country in the first three quarters of this year increased by 3.3% or 16.93 million heads to 537.23 million heads compared to the same period in 2022. In the first, second and third quarters, production grew by 1.7%, 3.7% and 4.7%, respectively, in annual terms.

Pork production for the period increased by 1.51 million tons or 3.6% to 43.01 million tons.

At the end of the third quarter, there were 442.29 million pigs in the country, which is 1.66 million heads or 0.4% less than last year, and the monthly increase was 7.11 million heads or 1.6%.

Prices for live pigs increased by 8.3% in the first quarter, remained unchanged in the second quarter, and fell by 21.5% in the third quarter compared to the previous year, which made their production profitability negative and, accordingly, reduced the demand for grain.

Tags: wheat, China, grain