China attains bumper summer grain harvest in 2024

A staff checks newly harvested wheat at a storehouse of a grain and oil company in Qitai County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 9, 2024. In recent days, Qitai County, a major wheat production area in northwest China's Xinjiang, greets its harvest season. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- China has seen another year with a bumper summer grain harvest in 2024, official data showed Friday.

The country's summer grain output totaled 149.78 million tonnes this year, up 2.5 percent or nearly 3.63 million tonnes year on year, according to a survey made by the National Bureau of Statistics.

China's summer grain sown area rose to 26.613 million hectares in 2024, 4,500 hectares more than last year, maintaining stability. Over 23 million hectares of wheat were sown, up 0.1 percent year on year.

This year's summer grain output per hectare reached 5,628 kilograms, an increase of 2.5 percent or 135.4 kilograms from last year.

China's central Henan Province achieved a summer grain output of nearly 37.86 million tonnes this year, the most at provincial levels.

Wang Guirong, head of the rural surveys department of NBS, said that overall favorable weather conditions, improvement of production conditions and programs aimed at improving crop yield contributed to the increase in summer grain yields.

Wang added that efforts had been made to promote the construction of high-standard farmlands in various localities while refined measures were taken to boost wheat yields and maintain stable wheat production.

"The bumper summer grain harvest lays a solid foundation for China's stable grain production throughout the year, and also provides solid support for the country's economic recovery and high-quality development," Wang said.

During a research trip to central China's Henan Province in May, Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for efforts to secure a bumper summer grain harvest and promote the innovative development of agriculture.

While calling for efforts to enhance cross-regional mechanized harvesting, prevent and control disasters, and prepare for summer sowing, Li said minimum grain purchase prices should be utilized well to ensure that farmers are able to earn money.