December 15, 2011

China's winter wheat growing areas rose marginally to 22.67 million hectares this year, as favourable weather encouraged planting, the Ministry of Agriculture said Monday (Dec 12).

The wheat crop, which is to be harvested in June, is showing good progress in major producing areas, with the proportion of good seedlings up three to five percentage points from a year earlier, the ministry said.

Rapeseed acreage rose to 6.8 million hectares, up 1.7%.

Winter wheat output accounts for more than 90% of China's wheat production, which totalled 117.92 million tonnes in 2011, up 2.4% on-year, government data showed.