China's spring crop sowing half done; unchanged on year

China has completed planting half of the crops it planned to sow in the ongoing spring season, the Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement published on its Web site.

The planting so far is almost the same as last year, said the ministry during the weekend.

Of the total, grain acreage was 44 percent done as of April 30, down 0.6 percent than the same period last year, while oilseeds was 47 percent done, 2.2-percent lower than a year ago, it said.

Cotton acreage was 68 percent done, almost the same as last year, said the ministry.

Of the grain acreage, wheat planting has been faster than last year, while corn has lagged, it said.