by PressChina harvests record summer grain harvest
Record summer grain harvest: overview of global production
The 2024 farming season brought good results for Chinese farmers. By 2.5% increased the summer grain harvest compared to the previous period. The main factor behind the increase in production was the expansion of the area under cultivation.
The total area under summer cereals was more than 25.5 million hectares. This was 4.5 million hectares more than in the 2023 season. Wheat was the most important crop for Chinese farmers. The area planted to it was about 23 million hectares.
Grain yield per hectare was 5.6 tonnes. Compared to the previous year’s result, this indicator increased by 135 kg.
It is worth noting that agricultural activity in China is seasonal:
1. In the summer, farmers harvest crops sown in the autumn. These include winter varieties of wheat, barley and other cereals.
2. Crops that farmers sow in the spring, such as rice and corn, mature in the autumn.
The good volume of summer grains is a consequence of expanding arable land. Favourable weather conditions also contributed to the yields.
World grain production forecast
The FAO has raised expectations for world grain production in the 2024 season by almost 8 million tonnes. Analysts are forecasting a harvest of 2854 million tonnes, a record for recent years. The improved outlook is due to increased production of feed grains, particularly in Argentina and Brazil. After several months of drought, the weather in these countries has stabilised, allowing an increase in the corn crop. Turkey also recorded high yields of this crop. However, in some countries, production will be lower than in the previous season:
1. Indonesia and countries in Southern Africa suffered from drought, which reduced yields.
2. Pakistani farmers planted less corn this season as demand and prices fell.
Asian countries are reporting good results for wheat. In Pakistan, analysts are reporting a bumper crop. However, several European countries have seen a decline in crop production. The FAO also expects a record rice harvest of more than 535 million tonnes.
World grain consumption in the 2024-2025 season will be 2856 million tonnes, exceeding the previous period’s results. Consumption of forage crops will amount to 1529 million tonnes. The main demand will come from corn and barley used for feed production.
Analysts expect rice consumption to rise to a record 531.5 million tonnes. This trend is due to the growing demand from the populations of Asian countries. Rice has traditionally been one of the staple foods for people in the region.