March 15, 2007

China could increase grain yields further with government support

China could further increase its grain output if the government provides more support to farmers, Chen Zhangliang, president of the China Agricultural University said Tuesday (Mar 13) on the sidelines of the National People's Congress (NPC).

Chen said that a 10-percent increase in yield could be achieved if the government could offer agricultural subsidies and provide technical support.

This is so despite the belief that the country's grain production has hit its peak, Chen, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), said.

Despite severe drought in several grain-growing regions, China last year saw a 2.7 percent increase in grain harvest last year.

Although China's average unit yield of grain is 400 kilograms per mu (1 mu = 1/15th of a hectare) the figure varies greatly in different regions, Chen said.

The country should put its focus on low-yielding farms where farmers have no money to buy chemical fertiliser and irrigation is poor, he said.

For China at present, it is the quantity and not the quality that matters more, he added.

This was attributed to the fact that more farmers are growing grain to take advantage of higher grain prices, subsidies for grain growing, minimum prices set for wheat and rice and the abolishment of agriculture taxes.

Despite the good news, experts warned that China's grain production remains weak given its huge population.