China to Boost Corn Acreage in 2021
USAgNet - 01/05/2021
China will increase the area sown with corn in its main grain regions this year, the agriculture minister has said, reversing several years of declining acreage in response to a growing shortfall.
The expansion is part of a comprehensive plan to ensure food security, according to Tang Renjian, the newly appointed Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, state media Xinhua news agency reported.
Authorities will focus on expanding corn acreage in the northeast as well as areas around the Yellow, Huai and Hai rivers, Tang said in an interview with Xinhua on Sunday.
According to Reuters, the pledge comes after China's corn prices soared to record levels after authorities nearly emptied once-mammoth temporary reserves at auctions. Importers have brought in record volumes of grain to plug the shortage.
China had been cutting down on corn acreage in the past few years to whittle down the state stockpiles and to boost output of other crops like soybeans.
Farmers planted 41.264 million hectares of corn in 2020, with output of the grain at 260.67 million tonnes.
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