China produces 700 mln tons of grain in 2024: data

China produced a total of 700 million tons of grain in 2024, reaching a historic high, the National Bureau of Statistics said Friday.

The milestone follows China's first grain output of 650 million tons in 2015.

One reason for the impressive number is China's commitment to developing high-standard farmland. The country has over 1 billion mu (about 66.67 million hectares) of high-standard farmland currently, up from less than 400 million mu a decade ago.

The yield from high-standard farmland can increase by up to 100 kilograms per mu compared to that of common land.

Now, high-standard farmland comprises more than 52 percent of the total cultivated land in the country, providing a strong foundation for increased grain production.

Another reason is China's efforts to enhance the variety and quality of seeds.

Over the past decade, China has promoted a total of 753 regionally adaptive dominant varieties across the country, with the contribution rate of improved seeds to increased production exceeding 45 percent.

Various regions in China have adjusted their planting structure and expanded the area dedicated to high-yield corn crops, especially by promoting farming techniques such as dense planting, with some regions increasing the number of plants per mu by 300 to 400.

In addition, regions have also identified counties focusing on overall yield improvement, allowing them to take the lead in promoting integrated technologies.

"This year, the wheat yield in counties focusing on overall yield improvement has increased by about 5.1 percent compared to last year, leading to an average increase of around 10 kilograms per mu in wheat production," said Han Yijun, a chief scientist of industrial economics of the China Agriculture Research System (CARS).

China's policies for benefiting farmers have also played a significant role in the growth of grain output. This year, the country has enhanced its support for grain production, providing full cost insurance and planting income insurance for the three major staple grains. It has also raised the minimum purchase prices for wheat and early indica rice, effectively boosting farmers' enthusiasm for grain production.

In addition, the country is also cultivating new types of agribusiness, with nearly 4 million family farms and over 2.2 million farmers' cooperatives established.

China produces 700 mln tons of grain in 2024: data

Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, visited China's National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) with Rosangela Lula da Silva, wife of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Beijing on Tuesday afternoon.

Rosangela is accompanying Lula during his current five-day state visit to China from Saturday to Friday at the invitation of Xi.

Peng and Rosangela visited the interior architecture of the venue, watched an art exhibition, and learned about the NCPA's efforts in promoting international cultural exchanges and popularizing art.

Peng then invited Rosangela to enjoy excerpts of classical operas and performances of Chinese and Brazilian songs.

Noting that both China and Brazil are major cultural countries, Peng said there has been active people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two sides in recent years, and that mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the two countries have deepened day by day.

She expressed the hope that both sides will maintain this good momentum and promote mutual understanding and friendship among the two peoples.

Rosangela thanked Peng for the warm and thoughtful arrangement and appreciated the artists' entertaining performances.

She spoke highly of China's development achievements and splendid culture, and expressed her willingness to actively promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries and to continue making contributions to deepening the friendship between Brazil and China.

Peng Liyuan visits National Center for the Performing Arts with Brazilian First Lady