China's preparation for spring planting is better than expected, due to favorable policies, a senior government official said Thursday (Apr 9).

China's total grain acreage in 2009 is likely to exceed the government's target of 263.5 million acres, according to a survey, said Pan Wenbo, a senior official at Crop Planting Department under the Ministry of Agriculture.

China's average grain prices rose in March from a month ago, for the first time after four consecutive months of decline, due to the government's supportive purchases, he added.