On October 16, we celebrated the 44th World Food Day, marking an important milestone in global food security. The internationally recognized threshold for food security is an average of 400 kilograms of grain per person. In 2023, China’s per capita grain availability reached 493 kilograms, surpassing this safety line by nearly 100 kilograms. Additionally, the total grain production in the country has shown consistent growth over recent years. Looking ahead, how can we further promote grain production and ensure food security? Moreover, some key grain-producing regions contribute significantly to national food security but face challenges such as lower per capita financial resources and underdeveloped social services compared to major grain-consuming areas. What measures is the government currently taking, and what strategies are planned for the future?
Let’s take a closer look at the impressive achievements of China’s grain production system. For the past nine consecutive years, the total grain output has remained stable at over 1.3 trillion pounds. Grain reserves are abundant, far exceeding the international food security warning line of 17% to 18%. Stocks of wheat and rice are sufficient to meet over a year’s worth of consumption for the entire population, ensuring a steady and reliable domestic grain market.
Currently, the nation boasts over 700 million tons of grain storage capacity in standard warehouses, marking a 36% increase since 2014. The loss rate for state-owned grain storage facilities is kept within 1% over the retention period. Looking ahead, the National Grain and Oil Information Center has projected that the three major cereals will continue to show stability in the 2024–2025 period, with over 70% of staple supplies from wheat and rice ensuring absolute safety.
The goal for 2030 is to increase grain production capacity by over 100 billion pounds. This year marks the first implementation phase of the “New Round of 100 Billion Pound Grain Production Capacity Enhancement Action Plan.” To achieve this ambitious goal, what additional measures can be taken to bolster grain production and security? Let’s hear insights from experts.
Zhang Hongyu, President of the China Agricultural Risk Management Society, emphasizes the need for continued stable and increased grain production. The central government has released a series of policies in recent years to support this goal. Efforts should be made in soil quality improvement, comprehensive investment in various aspects, and a strategic focus on high-standard farmland construction. It’s essential to not only enhance the yield levels but also effectively promote high-yield varieties of corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, and rapeseed across larger areas. This integrated approach involves using superior seeds, land, timing, methods, and systems. By employing innovative production techniques, we can strengthen our capacity for stable production against natural disasters.
Moreover, there’s a need to explore the establishment of an interprovincial horizontal compensation mechanism for grain production and sales areas. Key grain-producing regions play a crucial role in enhancing capacity and ensuring supply. However, these areas often forgo certain development opportunities to maintain food safety and protect arable land. As a result, we are witnessing an imbalance in development opportunities between major grain-producing and consuming regions. This year’s central government document suggests exploring a compensation mechanism for these disparities. Zhang further evaluates that, aside from Shandong and Jiangsu, the farmers in the other 11 major grain-producing provinces earn less than the national average. The government has been increasingly investing in these regions, yielding positive results. However, it’s also crucial to amplify responsibilities in major grain-consuming areas and to find innovative ways to enhance self-sufficiency in grain production among balanced supply and demand provinces. The central government is currently formulating concrete implementation measures for this horizontal compensation mechanism, which is expected to bolster the foundation of China’s food security even further.
