Grain security assured

The right move: An aerial photo showing a farmer driving a harvester to reap wheat in a field. — Xinhua

BEIJING: In a vast cornfield in Jilin Province, rows of corn seedlings mixed with shredded corn stalks push their way through the soil.

Meanwhile, rumbling farming machines also shuttle back and forth across the field, while simultaneously uploading land monitoring data.

China planted 940 million mu (about 63 million hectares) of grain this spring, and strenuous efforts are being made nationwide to guarantee the country’s grain security.

In 2021, China’s grain output reached nearly 683 billion kilogrammes, up 15.82% from 2012, marking a bumper harvest for the 18th year in a row.

“China’s overall grain output continues to increase. With favourable policies and measures, the country can essentially ensure grain security,” said Hu Bingchuan, a researcher with the Rural Development Institute of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

At an agricultural machinery warehouse in Chenjiadian Village of Nong’an County in Jilin, a high-horsepower tractor with tyres almost as tall as a full-grown adult stands out from the rest.

“This type of tractor with deeper ploughs can leave corn stalks in soil layers 40cm underground, increasing soil organic matter and allowing the corn roots to dig deeper,” said Chen Zhongguo, head of Zhongyi agricultural machinery cooperative, which owns the warehouse.

The efficient farming method can save more than 200 kg of fertilizer per hectare on average and increase grain production by more than five percent, Chen added.

The practice of “cultivating while conserving” in Chenjiadian also gives a glimpse into China’s approaches to arable land management.

The fertile black soil, mainly found in China’s northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning, produces over one-fifth of the country’s total grain output, playing a significant role in ensuring grain security.

Over the past decade, China has taken a slew of measures to protect the black soil, also dubbed the “rice bowl field,” which has lead to significant improvement in soil quality.

Moreover, advances in agricultural science and technology have also helped safeguard grain security, making grain storage smart and efficient and helping seeds sprout up in harsh conditions.

With the help of new seed breeding technology, the contribution rate of improved seeds to China’s grain production growth exceeded 45%, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

China is stepping up the development of its seed industry, with the number of national seed breeding and production bases in the country increasing to 216. These hubs breed or produce seeds for grain, cotton, oil, and sugar, among others.

Against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, as the world’s largest grain producer and third-largest grain exporter, China’s grain security is also of global significance.

In the past ten years, Chinese hybrid rice varieties have been widely planted in dozens of countries and regions in Asia, Africa and America. Their average yield per hectare is about two tonnes higher than that of local premium varieties.

According to a recent report on China’s agricultural outlook for 2022 to 2031, in the next decade, China’s self-sufficiency rate for grains will increase to about 88 percent. — Xinhua