How is grain production doing? National Bureau of Statistics explains
According to the national grain production data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, the total national grain output in 2014 was 607.10 million tons (121.42 billion jin), an increase of 5.16 million tons (10.3 billion jin) over 2013, up 0.9%. The main reasons for the grain increase in 2014 were:
1. Stable policies, measures in place
Since the beginning of this year, the central government has continued to introduce a series of policies to strengthen agriculture and benefit farmers, allocated the agricultural “four subsidies” in advance, released the minimum purchase prices for wheat and rice early, continued to implement the reward policy for major grain-producing counties, actively promoted the transformation of agricultural production and operation methods, and focused on cultivating new types of agricultural production entities and other policy measures, further mobilizing enthusiasm for grain production in various sectors and promoting grain production. The announcement shows that in 2014, the total national grain sown area was 112,738 thousand hectares (1.691 billion mu), an increase of 783 thousand hectares (11.74 million mu) over the previous year, up 0.7%.
The increase in grain sown area this year mainly came from the adjustment of planting structure, especially the reduction of cotton and increase of wheat in some areas of the Jianghuai and Jianghan regions, and the conversion of single-season rice to double-season rice in some areas such as Jianghan.
2. Strong scientific and technological support, strengthened field management
In 2014, all localities continued to promote the application of improved varieties, continued to implement the “subsidy policy for key technologies for agricultural disaster prevention and reduction, stable yield and increased production”, increased relevant subsidy efforts, and actively promoted the normalization of subsidies for key technologies with significant practical results. At the same time, in response to problems encountered in the grain production process, measures such as wheat “one spray, three preventions”, centralized rice seedling raising, and pest and disease prevention and control were promptly taken to strengthen field management. These measures promoted the improvement of the level of grain yield per unit area. In 2014, the average yield per unit area of national grain crops was 5,385 kg per hectare (359 kg per mu), an increase of 8 kg per hectare (0.56 kg per mu) over the previous year, up 0.2%.
3. Local droughts were relatively severe, but overall disaster conditions were lighter than the previous year
Although disasters in some local areas were relatively severe this year, especially the northern region suffering from “neck-sticking drought”, which affected autumn grain production. However, on the one hand, because hilly and mountainous areas with poor irrigation conditions were more severely affected by drought, areas with good water source conditions were not greatly affected; on the other hand, because governments at all levels made great efforts in disaster resistance, and after mid-August most drought-affected areas had their drought lifted or alleviated, the impact of drought on corn production was reduced to a certain extent.
From the perspective of the climatic conditions for winter wheat and late rice, the meteorological conditions in the main producing areas during their growth periods were close to normal, and in some areas even better than the previous year, which was favorable for the growth and development of related crops and yield formation. During the growth period of winter wheat, light, temperature and water conditions were well coordinated, grain filling was sufficient, and the thousand-grain weight increased. In particular, during the critical maturity period, there was no long period of overcast and rainy weather or high-temperature dry-hot weather, nor large-scale lodging or large-scale pests and diseases, which was extremely favorable for increasing wheat yield per unit area. For late rice, except that northern Jiangnan was affected by factors such as low temperature and overcast rain from sowing and seedling raising to the tillering stage, most rice areas and most periods had suitable light and heat, which was conducive to the growth of late rice.
Overall, this year's climatic conditions were relatively good, and the disaster situation was lighter than the previous year. According to statistics from the civil affairs department, from January to September this year, the national crop affected area was 24,899 thousand hectares, a decrease of 10,041 thousand hectares from the same period of the previous year, down 29%; the area with total crop failure was 2,854 thousand hectares, a decrease of 400 thousand hectares from the same period of the previous year, down 12%.