February 11, 2004

China Heilongjiang 2003 Soybean Output Up 0.8%

Heilongjiang province, the top soybean growing region in northeastern China, harvested 5.608 million metric tons of soybeans in 2003, China's National Bureau of Statistics said Wednesday.

That was a rise of 0.8% from the 5.563 million tons produced in 2002.

The bureau estimated 2003 corn production at 8.309 million tons, down 22.4% from 10.705 million tons in 2002.

Wheat production in 2003 was estimated at 397,000 tons, down 55.6% from 894,000 tons in 2002 while rice production stood at 8.428 million tons, down 8.5% from 9.21 million tons in 2002.

Total grain and oilseeds production in 2003 was pegged at 25.123 million tons, down 14.6% from 29.412 million tons in 2002, said an NBS report.

The lower grain output was largely because of natural disasters such as unusual drought and flooding during the planting or growing period.