September 27, 2010
China optimistic about 2010 grain harvest
China expects stable grain harvest if no significant natural disaster happens in the remaining months of the year, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
Zhou Wangjun, deputy director of NDRC's Prices Division, said this during his visit to the major grain producing areas in central China's Hunan, Hubei and Northeast China's Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces, places known as China's barns.
The autumn grain, which makes up more than 70% of China's grain output, grows well and is better than last year so far, according to the official.
Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture show that China's autumn crops-planting areas totalled 1.149 billion mu (about 76.6 million hectares), 13 million mu (about 867,000 hectares) more than those during the same period in 2009. Of the total, corn planting area accounts for 12 million mu (about 800,000 hectares) of the increase.
Zhou said that years of grain harvest has made China's grain stock far more than the international standard red line at 17%-18%, adding that the grain harvests and abundant stock could help the central government to ensure sufficient market supply in the country.
China's grain prices are expected to keep moderate increase without suffering from over-fluctuation in 2010 due to the central government's macro-control measures over the grain market, he added.
