China’s corn production increases 4.6% in 2021 from last year (Bureau of Statistics)

December 6 (Reuters) – China’s corn production rose 4.6% in 2021 from a year earlier to 272.6 million tonnes, the statistics bureau said on Monday.

The official annual figure came as the market closely watched the new corn crop from the world’s second-largest grain consumer, after planting area increased due to soaring prices.

Chinese farmers have switched from other crops to maize in order to take advantage of record prices during the planting season, although heavy rains in the north affected the crop, reducing production and damaging the quality of part of the crop. harvest. Read more

China’s corn plantation area in 2021 increased 5 percent from the previous year to 650 million mu (43.32 million hectares), thanks to higher prices, the office said in a separate statement on its website, citing an official.

Maize yield in 2021 fell 0.4% from the previous year, as flooding in the Huang-Huai-Hai River area affected crops there, said Wang Minghua, head of the office. , in the press release.

China’s agriculture ministry saw maize output in the new crop year at 270.96 million tonnes, up 4 percent from 260.67 million the previous year.

Total cereal production increased 2 percent from a year earlier to reach 682.9 million tonnes in 2021, the statistics office said.

Wheat production stood at 136.9 million tonnes, with area and yield increasing from 2020, he added.

Reporting by Hallie Gu and Shivani Singh; Editing by Clarence Fernandez

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