China is expecting a bumper summer harvest this year which will lay a solid foundation for the overall grain production capacity, an official from the Chinese statistics authority told a press conference on Wednesday.

The summer grain harvest is expected to be strong, laying a good foundation for a bumper grain harvest throughout the year, Fu Linghui, a spokesperson from the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.

He noted that judging from the current situation, the summer grain is expected to achieve a strong harvest this year thanks to overall climatic conditions, scientific and advanced production methods and increased guidance offered to local farmers.

By Tuesday, the country had finished reaping summer harvested wheat equal to 256 million mu (17 million hectares) of farmland, accounting for around 85 percent of the total planting area, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs confirmed.

Since the beginning of this year, the intensification of geopolitical conflicts has led to a sharp rise in grain prices. Grain export restrictions from some countries have further exacerbated the tension between supply and demand which has continued to push up global grain prices.

Although international factors such as the Ukraine crisis have pushed up the price of domestic grain, the magnitude is significantly smaller than international levels, Fu said.

In May, China’s consumer price index rose by 2.1 percent from a year earlier, with grain prices shooting up by 3.2 percent year-on-year.

Fu Linghui said that China has placed great importance on food production and security over recent years with its grain output stabilizing at more than 650 billion kilograms for seven consecutive years, with grain stocks relatively abundant. 

Among the 33 detailed stimulus measures to support economy released on May 31, the country will issue a second round of 10 billion yuan ($1.48 billion) in subsidies to make up for the decline in grain yields caused by rising costs and lift the minimum purchase price of rice and wheat, two major staple grains consumed by households.

The State Administration of Grain and Reserves (SAGR) estimated on Tuesday that the purchase volume of grains during this year’s the summer season will be around 65 billion kilograms, remaining at a relatively high level.

Given the complicated international environment, Fu said China will continue stepping up efforts to boost grain production capacity with a view to ensure food security, reduce pressure on agricultural production caused by rising prices, and ensure the steady growth in grain output throughout the year.

China’s grain production hit a record 683 billion kilograms in 2021, up 2 percent year on year.

Global Times