context: This year's summer harvest felt the impact of unseasonal rains in Henan in early June. Only admitting small losses, the central rhetoric remained positive.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2023, the state's summer grain output was around 150 million tonnes, representing a y-o-y decrease of 0.9 percent. Wheat output was 130 million tonnes, decreasing by 0.9 percent y-o-y. The summer grain output remained stable with a slight decrease, still a bountiful harvest, said NBS.
The area for summer grain grew by 0.3 percent y-o-y this year, primarily due to
- higher pressure on localities to secure the grain acreage
- higher minimum purchasing prices to encourage farmers and more subsidies for ag-producing counties
- increased wheat average in Xinjiang
Despite growing acreage, the average yield of summer grain dropped by 1.2 percent y-o-y to 5,500 kg per ha. The wheat yield declined by 1.3 percent y-o-y.
In late May, there was widespread rainfall in northern wheat-growing regions, lasting for longer than usual. Wheat during the filling stage received insufficient sunlight, leading to a decrease in grain weight. In Henan province, the continuous rainfall coincided with the wheat harvest, resulting in severe field rotting. The southwest experienced consecutive droughts during the winter and spring, leading to a decrease in the yield of summer grain in Yunnan and Guizhou.