Crop Structure

In grain crop sector, priorities are given to rice and wheat production and the optimization of corn structure

Crop farming is an important foundation of agriculture and its downstream sectors. Grain, cotton, oil, sugar and vegetables are essential products related to the national economy and people’s livelihood. During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, China’s grain output increased year on year and crop farming sector kept sustained and stable development, which have provided strong support to the country’s economic development and reform. Grain output exceeded 550 million tons for 5 consecutive years and exceeded 600 million tons for 3 consecutive years. The comprehensive production capacity was over 550 million tons. Meanwhile, horticultural crops such as fruits, vegetables and tea also developed stably, and the per unit area yield of industrial crops such as cotton, oil and sugar also increased further. The situation is more complicated and development tasks are more arduous during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. The principal contradiction in agriculture has already shifted from insufficient total output to structural contradiction. The strategic bottom line, however, remains to be “basic self-sufficiency of cereals and absolute security of rations”.

The total planting area of farm crops in China was 170 million hectares in 2015, an increase of 0.56% over the previous year. The planting area of rice, wheat and corn accounted for over 50% of the total.

Major goals for structural adjustment of China’s planting industry during the 13th Five-Year Plan: to guarantee the supply of rations and cereals (By 2020, the area of grain crops shall stand at about 110 million hectares, including 53 million hectares of rice, wheat and other grain rations and 93 million hectares of cereals planting area;  to stabilize the self-sufficiency level of cotton, edible vegetable oil and edible sugar (By 2020, the planting areas of cotton, oil crops and sugar crops shall be kept at around 3.33 million hectares, 13.33 million hectares and 1.60 million hectares, respectively); to coordinate the development between vegetable production and demand and to coordinate the development between forage production and livestock raising (By 2020 the planting area of vegetables shall be kept at around 21.33 million hectares and the planting area of forage shall reach 6.33 million hectares).

Agricultural production is the comprehensive result of various factors such as the planting area, crop structure, natural environment, pesticides, fertilizers, seeds, agricultural machinery, irrigation and productivity. The healthy development and sound coordination of various sectors can facilitate the normal functioning of agricultural production.