April 20, 2006

China's 06 grain acreage to reach 105 million hectares

China's grain-planted farmlands in 2006 is expected to rise 0.7 percent on-year to 105 million hectares, a latest survey of farmers' planting intentions indicated, a National Bureau of Statistics spokesman said Thursday (Apr 20).

Meanwhile, winter wheat is in good growing condition and a good harvest of summer crops can be expected, Zheng Jingping, the bureau's spokesman, said in a press conference on China's first quarter economic assessment and outlook.

China aims to achieve self-sufficiency in grain supply. The government has raised government subsidies and agricultural technology aids to farmers to increase the country's grain output.

China's grain output has risen steadily in the past two years. Last year, output rose 3.1 percent to 484.01 million tonnes, while acreage rose to 104.27 million hectares, up 2.67 million hectares from 2004.