Over 100 mln tonnes of autumn grains purchased in China

BEIJING, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- China is stepping up its efforts to purchase autumn grains, a major source of its grain reserves, to enhance its capacity to ensure food security.

Enterprises in China's major grain-producing areas had purchased 110 million tonnes of autumn grains as of Dec. 31, 2022, basically on par with the level last year, data from the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration showed Friday.

Indica and japonica rice purchases reached 24.51 million tonnes and 29.68 million tonnes, respectively. Corn purchases stood at 53.26 million tonnes, while that of soybeans was 1.95 million tonnes.

Despite the impact of extreme weather and COVID-19, China has seen 2022 as another year with a bumper grain harvest. The country's grain output totaled about 686.53 billion kg in 2022, up 0.5 percent or 3.68 billion kg compared to 2021.