Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the NPC session, China's Minister of Agriculture
and Rural Affairs Tang Renjian said that rare heavy rainfall last year delayed the planting of
about one-third of the normal wheat acreage. A survey of the winter wheat crop taken before
the start of winter found that the amount of first- and second-grade crop was down by more than 20 percentage points and the condition of China's winter wheat crop could be the "worst
in history." He, however, confidence that China can ensure a bumper harvest of summer grain
thanks to strong policy and technical support and the improving crop condition for the grain.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)'s report said China will ensure
that grain acreage for the year stays above 117.33 million hectares and that China will increase
the production of soybeans and other oilseed crops. The NDRC said China will build
momentum to increase corn output and will guarantee the supply-demand balance of grain,
edible oil, cotton, sugar, and fertilizers through the effective use of reserves and imports. It
assured that China will allocate 41.639 billion yuan ($6.59 billion) in subsidies in 2022 for
agricultural insurance premiums, up 30.8% from a year earlier./
(Comment: The Minister's comments underscore concerns about China's grain supply at the
same time as the war between Russia and Ukraine, which together account for about 29% of
global wheat exports, has disrupted supplies causing wheat prices to surge to 14-year highs.)
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