China's soybean output hits record high in 2023

BEIJING, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- China has registered a record-high soybean output of 20.84 million tonnes in 2023, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Tuesday.

The country's soybean planting area reached 157 million mu (about 10.47 million hectares) last year, while that of oilseed crops exceeded 200 million mu, said Deng Xiaogang, vice minister of agricultural and rural affairs, at a press conference.

A total of 33.969 million people who had been lifted out of poverty were employed in 2023, exceeding the annual target by 3.777 million, Deng said.

The revitalization of the seed industry has achieved initial results, Deng said, adding that more than 530,000 new germplasm resources have been collected.

China maintained the momentum of steady progress in agricultural and rural development in 2023, providing solid support for economic recovery and high-quality development, said the vice minister.

Earlier data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that China's grain output rose 1.3 percent year on year to a record high of 695.41 million tonnes in 2023.

This is the ninth consecutive year that China has registered a grain harvest of over 650 million tonnes.

China enjoys abundant grain output and reserve, with its stock-to-use ratio well above the international grain security threshold of 17 to 18 percent, the ministry's official Chen Bangxun said at the press conference.