Corn to be cut by more than 50 million mu within five years, involving 13 provinces

When it comes to the recent prices of China's staple grains, the first reaction of many people is——fall, fall, fall! Corn, which has ranked first in China's grain output for many years, has seen its price fall for the first time in the seven years since the temporary storage policy was implemented. A reporter recently learned in some grain-producing areas of Heilongjiang that many corn growers are holding back on selling in the hope of a better price, and corn purchasing appears very quiet.

Farmers' earnings are lower, and the state's grain storage is also having a hard time. Because domestic corn is in a phase of supply exceeding demand, some main producing areas have found themselves in a situation where they “cannot buy it, cannot store it, cannot sell it, and cannot afford the subsidies.” What to do? There is only one way——adjust, adjust, adjust!

Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture officially issued the Guiding Opinions on Corn Structure Adjustment in the “Sickle Bend” Region, to reduce the planted area by more than 50 million mu within five years. Upon seeing the word “reduce,” everyone began discussing it: Why should these regions plant less? If they no longer plant corn, what should farmers do? When it comes to switching crops, is it a “crisis” or an “opportunity” for farmers? Below is a detailed explanation. Which places should reduce planting?

The “Sickle Bend” region includes the cold and cool area of Northeast China, the agro-pastoral transition zone of the north, the windy, sandy and arid area of the northwest, the area along the Taihang Mountains, and the rocky desertification area of the southwest. Its year-round corn planting area accounts for about one third of the national total.

This formulation is rather vivid. On a topographic map, they appear in a sickle-bend distribution from the northeast to north China-southwest-northwest, and are key areas for corn structure adjustment.

From the perspective of traditional corn-growing region divisions, this involves several major producing areas, including the northern spring corn region, the Huang-Huai Plain spring and summer corn region, the southwestern mountain and hilly corn region, and the northwestern inland corn region.

From the perspective of provincial and regional distribution, it mainly includes the following 13:

Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Xinjiang

So, corn growers in these provinces and regions should pay attention:

By 2020, the corn planting area in the “Sickle Bend” region will be stabilized at 100 million mu, a reduction of more than 50 million mu compared with the current level. In other words, one third of the cornfields in this area will be switched to other crops. Why do so many places need to switch crops?

Although the areas involved are large, they all belong to typical dryland farming areas and areas with advantages for livestock development, and their ecological environments are fragile. In these places, corn development has been too rapid, with low and unstable yields, affecting planting returns and farmers' incomes.

The choice to “adjust” is also related to China's grain supply and demand situation. Now, our country's corn supply exceeds demand, inventories have increased substantially, and the corn purchase price has been lowered, which has also led to reduced planting returns. If adjustments are not made, everyone can only “walk down the same road to the end,” let alone get rich. Therefore, the planting structure and regional layout must be optimized, using the corresponding land for what it is best suited to do.

Growers

With so many places reducing planting, does this mean our country is going to comprehensively “cut grain”?

After the policy was issued, many people had the above question, and even some articles used “the Ministry of Agriculture wants to cut grain” as a headline, but the real situation is——

The Ministry of Agriculture stated: Advancing corn structure adjustment in the “Sickle Bend” region mainly means appropriately adjusting and reducing “non-advantageous areas”; for advantageous core producing areas, not only will there be no adjustment, but capacity building will also be strengthened to ensure basic self-sufficiency in grains.

On the corn issue, it is necessary to analyze scientifically and judge rationally, and to fully recognize corn's important contribution to consecutive years of grain output increases and its important position in safeguarding national food security.

If not planting corn, what should be planted?

Taking into comprehensive consideration factors such as natural ecological conditions, the current state of the agricultural structure, the level of production development, and feasibility, the Ministry of Agriculture has provided different adjustment ideas for farmers in different regions.

1. Cold and cool area of Northeast China

Includes: northern Heilongjiang and the fourth and fifth accumulated temperature zones of northeastern Inner Mongolia, as well as the mountainous area of eastern Jilin (by 2020, reduce grain corn by more than 10 million mu.)

Regional characteristics: This area is located in a high-latitude, high-cold region, with long and severe winters, short summers, a frost-free period of only more than 90 days, and relatively large day-night temperature changes. Crop production is prone to disasters such as low-temperature chilling injury and early frost. Because corn has been grown continuously for many years, the soil has become compacted and herbicide residues have caused serious phytotoxicity, affecting increases in per-unit yield and quality improvement.

Main direction

Withdraw corn planted beyond its suitable zone and expand the scale of grain-soybean rotation and “grain-to-forage” conversion.

Specific measures: 1. In line with the requirements of livestock development in the region, vigorously develop silage corn, expand the planting of forage rapeseed, and develop the production of alfalfa and other forage grasses to meet the demand for high-quality feed for livestock development.

2. Give play to the traditional advantage of soybean planting in Northeast China and restore the “grain-soybean rotation” planting model.

3. Develop high-quality strong-gluten spring wheat and establish a hard red spring wheat production base.

2. Northern agro-pastoral transition zone

Includes: Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Hebei, Shaanxi, Gansu (strive to reduce grain corn by more than 30 million mu by 2020.)

Regional characteristics: This area is a transitional zone connecting agricultural planting areas and grassland ecological areas. It has abundant land resources and good light and heat conditions, but it lacks water resources, and the soil is degraded and desertified. It is an area in China with many types of disasters, frequent occurrences, and severe disaster conditions.