China plans leap in grain output capacity in next decade: report

China has taken catalytic measures to elevate grain production capacity from 2024 to 2033 by fully leveraging smart farming technology, intense mechanization and new quality agricultural productive forces, according to the China Agricultural Outlook Report (2024-2033) released on Saturday.

Released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences during the 2024 China Agricultural Outlook Conference, the China Agricultural Outlook Report (2024-2033) points out that the country has raised the minimum purchase prices for wheat and early-season rice and maintained subsidies for corn and soybean producers in an effort to support grain cultivation and provide stable income for farmers. It also says that the total grain growing area will reach 1.781 billion mu (about 118.7 million hectares) this year, with a 1.5 percent growth in grain yield per unit area from a year ago.

"Focusing on the main crops, like soybeans, corn, wheat, and rice, we will implement the 'Five Goods' integration of good fields, good seeds, good equipment, good methods and good systems, and tap the potential of yield per unit area. It is expected that grain output this year may reach 704 million tons, higher than that of the previous year," said Xu Shiwei, secretary-general of the Market Early Warning Expert Committee under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The report also predicts that in the next decade, China's new quality agricultural productive forces to be fully developed. The overall production capacity of important agricultural products will be significantly enhanced, coupled with a significant improvement in the supply quality and market competitiveness of agricultural products.

"New breakthroughs will be made in breeding technology. High-power machinery, specialized machinery for mountainous and hilly areas, and intelligent agricultural machinery will be promoted and applied. Facility agriculture will develop at an accelerated pace. High-yield and high-efficiency technologies will be promoted on a large scale. The quality of cultivated land will also continue to improve. It is expected that the grain yield per unit area will increase by approximately 10 percent, leading to stronger food supply security in China," said Xu.

China has seen a grain harvest of over 650 million tons for nine consecutive years, with the per capita share of grain at 493 kilograms.

China plans leap in grain output capacity in next decade: report

China plans leap in grain output capacity in next decade: report

Customers in Shanghai are flooding back to brick and mortar stores to upgrade their home appliances thanks to advances in energy efficiency and the availability of subsidies offered by local government, home appliance brands and retailers.

A store in Shanghai's downtown Changning District has welcomed an average of 2,800 customers on a daily basis in recent days.

Labels on some home appliances show that customers have access to a 10 percent subsidy as long as the products they buy are energy efficient.

"With this 10-percent subsidy, I decided to make offline purchase at this store. It's cheaper after all," said one customer.

This 10 percent subsidy is offered by the Shanghai government to boost consumption.

Retailers are also offering subsidies, further driving up consumption.

"If a customer is buying a product with grade one energy label, while at the same time has an old machine for replacement, the customer can enjoy a 10 percent subsidy from the government. And our platform and the manufacturer together offer a 10 percent subsidy for trade-in goods. And we are also offering an additional seven to eight percent subsidy for sets, and a five percent subsidy for single items. So the customer can generally get a 35 to 40 percent subsidy," said Yang Xu, procurement and sales manager with a Shanghai branch of China's e-commerce giant JD.com.

Noticeably, people are willing to buy more products, especially more high-end models.

"Things are now cheaper. So I have money left for high-end products. I've spent 20,000 yuan (about 2,764 U.S. dollars) here. In the past, I would not choose a refrigerator of more than 13,000 yuan (about 1796 U.S. dollars). I would only buy one with half its price. And I was not planning to buy a TV. But now, I've decided to buy one," said one customer.

Boosting consumption is just one upside of such trade-in programs. Replacing old machines with more energy efficient models also aligns with the country's carbon reduction goals.

China has pledged to achieve peak carbon emissions by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2060.

Home appliances trade-in programs boost consumption, protect environment