China's Grain Production Hits Record High... "Aid to Global Food Crisis"

Farmers in Pingyi County, Linyi City, Shandong Province are drying harvested corn. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency)

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] Despite adverse factors such as natural disasters and rising fertilizer prices, China's grain production has reached an all-time high.

On the 12th, China's National Bureau of Statistics announced that this year's grain production in China reached 686.53 billion kg, a 0.5% increase compared to the previous year. As a result, China's grain production has exceeded 650 billion kg for eight consecutive years. The National Bureau of Statistics explained in a statement, "This is the result of a bumper harvest despite adverse weather conditions such as autumn floods in the northern region, droughts in the southern region, and abnormal high temperatures."

According to the announcement, the cultivated area increased by 0.6% compared to the previous year to 1.775 billion mu (118.33 million hectares), and the yield per unit area reached 387 kg. Nie Fengying, Deputy Director of the Agricultural Information Institute at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, emphasized, "Despite not only abnormal weather but also the sharp rise in fertilizer prices amid tensions in Ukraine, which has placed a heavy burden on the domestic grain market, good results were achieved."

President Xi Jinping has frequently emphasized the statement, "The rice bowl of the Chinese people must be filled with Chinese grains," personally overseeing food security. According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, China is a net importer of agricultural products, with agricultural imports reaching 20.62 billion USD as of November, a 9.4% increase compared to the previous year. Exports recorded 8.83 billion USD, a 4.6% increase. More than 70% of imports are soybeans, and over the past five years, net grain imports have accounted for about 3% of total grain production.

Local media have highlighted the steady growth in grain production, emphasizing that it has become "a cornerstone of global food security." The state-run media Global Times (GT) reported, "While geopolitical tensions may pose obstacles to global food security, China's adeptness in responding to emergencies and its responsible approach to feeding its population will contribute positively to global food security." Citing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) report from last September, it added, "Food insecurity, which has increased over the past five years, has worsened due to the Ukraine crisis," and stressed, "This harvest will stabilize the global grain market and positively contribute to ensuring food security."

There are also forecasts that China's stable price trends, compared to inflation in the US and Europe, will be influenced by the increase in grain production. China's consumer price index rose 2.3% year-on-year in November, and the cumulative average from January to November was only 0.9%. The Times noted, "In contrast to Western countries experiencing record-high inflation, China will play a pivotal stabilizing role in global food security," and added, "Joint efforts are needed worldwide to address uneven food security issues."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.