May 9, 2012

China finishes 60% of 2012 spring sowing

China has finished planting 60% of its spring crops, much faster than the same time of last year, according to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA).

Pleasant weather and good soil moisture contributed to faster planting, the ministry noted.

According to the MOA, some 802 million mu (53.47 million hectares) of crops have been ploughed by May 4, accounting for 57.1% of the planned planting area, 7.4 percentage points faster than last year.

By crop, 535 million mu (35.67 million hectares) of grains have been planted, 57.1% of the whole and 9.7 percentage points more than last year; cotton planting has completed 79.1%, up 4.2 percentage point on year; oilseeds sowing has finished 50.9%, 0.5 percentage points higher than the year earlier period.

China has already finished planting of sugar crops, according to the MOA.

The China Meteorological Administration predicted that weather would be favourable for sowing and rice transplanting in the coming 10 days.