China purchased a total of 345 million tons of 2024 autumn grain by the end of April this year, according to data released by the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration on Monday.
Autumn grain purchases in China mainly cover mid- and late-season rice, corn and soybeans. The peak purchasing season runs from mid-September of the harvest year through the end of April the following year.
The purchase of autumn grains, which accounts for about three-quarters of the country's total annual grain purchases, contributes to a critical part of the annual grain purchase efforts.
After the autumn grain enters the market, relevant government departments coordinate market-oriented purchases and policy-based stockpiling, enhance market monitoring and analysis, improve expectation guidance, and implement various measures to facilitate farmers' grain sales channels. The autumn grain purchase market is robust and progressing rapidly, with prices displaying positive signs of recovery.
"The progress of autumn grain purchase is faster than last year. By variety, we have purchased 60 million tons of middle- and late-indica rice, 45 million tons of japonica rice, 227 million tons of corn, and 13 million tons of soybeans," said Luo Shouquan, director of the Food Reserve Department at the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration.
During the peak purchasing season for autumn grain, relevant authorities have successively activated the minimum purchase price policy for mid- and late-season rice in the provinces of Henan, Jiangsu, Heilongjiang, and Anhui.
China Grain Reserves Group (Sinograin) established a total of 245 purchase depots across these four provinces, covering 23 prefecture-level cities and 82 county-level districts, effectively ensuring a seamless grain sales process for farmers.
Meanwhile, leading enterprises such as Sinograin and China Co-op Cereals and Oils Co., Ltd. expanded their purchasing scale, conducting comprehensive grain purchases across major corn production regions to actively stabilize the market and expectations.
Furthermore, the summer grain production situation is generally favorable, with wheat and rapeseed set to be harvested and brought to market successively from south to north. Preparatory efforts for summer grain purchases are also proceeding in an orderly manner.
China purchases 345 mln tons of autumn grain
From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.
At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.
Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.
"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.
"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.
Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.
According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.
Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.
At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.
"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.
At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.
"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.
Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction
