April 23, 2012

China's 2012 grain yield may top 580 million tonnes 

This year, the grain crop of China will likely increase for a ninth consecutive year to hit a record level of 580 million tonnes compared with 571.21 million tonnes in 2011, a prominent Chinese think tank said Wednesday (Apr 18).

Firm grain prices, coupled with the government subsidies and support, have encouraged farmers to produce more, Zhu Gang, a professor of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told a press conference, according to transcript published on the news portal 163.com.

Meanwhile, cotton output this year is expected to fall below six million tonnes compared with 2011 output of 6.6 million tonnes, pressured by weak prices, he said, citing a CASS research report.

Corn will likely exceed rice to become the largest crop in terms of output in 2012, Zhu said, adding that corn demand from feed mills and industrial processors is strong, while prices are firm.

In 2011, corn output totalled 191.75 million tonnes, up 8.2%, while rice output totalled 200.78 million tonnes, up 2.6%, according to date from the National Bureau of Statistics.