Major Chinese agricultural province sees record grain output

CHANGCHUN -- Jilin, a key agricultural province in Northeast China, reported grain production of 41.87 billion kilograms in 2023, setting a new record, despite the challenges posed by floods in certain regions.

The average grain yield per mu (approximately 0.067 hectares) stood at 479.1 kg last year, positioning the province at the forefront of grain-producing regions nationwide, according to the government work report released at the annual session of the Jilin Provincial People's Congress on Wednesday.

In 2023, the province implemented a raft of measures to increase grain output, such as expanding cultivated areas, improving the quality of farmland and seeds, and promoting agricultural machinery.

The province developed nearly 8 million mu of high-standard cropland and 254,000 mu of arable land transformed from saline-alkali soil. The integrated mechanization rate for crop cultivation reached 94 percent, the government work report said.

Jilin province plays a crucial role as one of China's significant commodity grain bases.

In 2024, the grain production of Jilin is expected to surpass 44 billion kg. It strives to develop all permanent basic cropland into high-standard cropland by 2027, it noted.