October 20, 2003

China's Wheat Output On the Decline for Past 4 Years 

China's State Cereal and Oil Information Center (SCOIC) has reported that by the end of harvest season this year, China's wheat output reached only 86 million tons.

The country's wheat output has consecutively decreased for four years, as a result has reached its lowest level since the mid-1980s, the SCOIC said in its latest report issued earlier this month.

The SCOIC attributed the reduction of wheat output to the shrinking planting area, which amounted to 22 million hectares this year, the lowest since 1950, and 7.9% down from 2002.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the planting area of wheat in the coming winter, which is to be harvested in summer next year, is likely to be 3.8% lower from last winter.

The planting area is still reducing in some main wheat production provinces as the planting season draws near, the ministry said.

Farmers will keep refusing to grow wheat if the price remains depress, said An Lufang, an official with the provincial grain bureau of central China's Henan Province.

The country reported a total grain output of 96.22 million tons after this harvest season ended, 2.4% down from last year.