China’s agricultural ministry sets 2024 grain output at more than 650 million tons

China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Monday vowed to step up efforts to achieve a bumper grain harvest in 2024 and ensure grain output reach more than 1.3 trillion jin (650 million tons) in a bid to safeguard the country's food security.

More specific measures are to be rolled out to support realization of the so-called "No1 Central Document" for 2024.

The ministry said that it will assign grain, soybean and oil crops to individual provinces, and will stabilize the sowing area of grain crops to above 1.77 billion mu (118 million hectares), according to a statement posted on the ministry's website.

The authorities urged for enhanced efforts to increase the output of soybeans and oil crops, and ensure that the planting area of soybeans be stabilized above 150 million mu and that of oil crops will steadily grow.

The circular also outlined tasks in consolidating and building on the achievements in poverty alleviation and avoiding large-scale return to poverty in rural areas, as well as boosting the development of agricultural technology and equipment.

The issuance of the statement came as China unveiled its "No. 1 central document" for 2024 on February 3, outlining the priorities for comprehensively promoting rural revitalization.

To fully realize rural revitalization, the country should safeguard the bottom line of safeguarding national food security and avoiding a large-scale rural return to poverty, and focus on enhancing rural infrastructure projects and rural governance, the document noted.

In 2023, China's grain output reached a record high of 695.41 million tons, with the sufficient food supply and stockpiles providing strong support for the country's continuous economic recovery, official data showed.