Agricultural technology to boost China's crop yield: report

BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Agricultural science and technology will help China increase crop yield in the next decade, according to a report on the country's agriculture prospects by the Market Early Warning Expert Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The China Agricultural Outlook Report (2023-2032), released Thursday at the 2023 China Agricultural Outlook Conference held at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, reviewed the market situation of China's major agricultural products in 2022, and projected the production, consumption, trade, and price trends of these products in the next decade.

China's total grain output set a new record in 2022, reaching 687 million tonnes, an increase of 0.5 percent over the previous year, and remained above 650 million tonnes for eight consecutive years, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The supply security foundation of grain and primary agricultural products continued to be stable, said the report.

The report said China's grain output would likely reach 694 million tonnes in 2023, up 1.1 percent from the previous year. In the next decade, China will continue to build a diversified food supply system, improve the modernization level of agriculture in rural areas, enhance the ability to ensure the supply of agricultural products, and strengthen the competitiveness of agriculture, the report said.

The foundation of China's food security will continue to consolidate in the next decade, said the report, noting that all 103 million hectares of permanent farmland will be built into high-standard farmland.

The effect of agricultural science and technology on increasing crop yield is remarkable. China's grain output will likely increase by 1.2 percent annually in the next decade. Comprehensive agricultural production capacity will significantly enhance, and the channels of multiple food sources will broaden further, said the report.

The report shows that with the continuous improvement of Chinese residents' income, the consumption of agricultural products has been upgraded, and the demand for diversified, high-quality, and nutritious consumption has increased. Optimized dietary structures among locals accelerated the transformation of agricultural-product consumption from grain and vegetables to diversified products.

According to the report, China's per capita grain-ration consumption will decline, while the consumption of feed, soybean, dairy, fruit, and aquatic products will increase.

The import channels of agricultural products will be more diversified, while the trade structure will significantly improve, with grain imports falling by 19.7 percent in the next decade.

According to the report, rice export, the major part of China's grain export, is expected to grow by 24 percent in the next decade. The export of vegetables, fruits, and aquatic products, which have competitive advantages in the international market, is expected to grow rapidly.

The report also noted that China would see increasing trading partners for agricultural products and rising agricultural product trade with Southeast Asian countries, South American countries, and the Black Sea region.