BEIJING, CHINA — China set a grain production record of 706.5 million tonnes in 2024, an increase of 1.6% from last year’s output, according to the National Bureau of Statistics data. It also marked the first time the country’s grain harvest topped 700 million tonnes.

China’s state-owned grain reserve enterprises are expected to purchase around 420 million tonnes of grain from farmers and producers this year, which will mark the second consecutive year that the grain purchase volume is above 400 million tonnes, the Chinese government said during a national work conference on food and strategic reserves that concluded on Dec. 26.

The country has strengthened the organization and coordination of grain purchasing and taken multiple measures to smooth the channels for farmers to sell grains, Chinese officials said.

The purchase of autumn grains is being accelerated, with corn purchase work entering a peak period in the country’s northern and northeastern regions, said Liu Huanxin, head of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration. With the growing volume of reserves, the scale of China’s grain storage facilities is also increasing year by year, effectively meeting grain storage needs, Liu said.

By the end of 2023, the official said the capacity of China’s standard warehouses in good condition exceeded 700 million tonnes, an increase of 36% compared to 2014.

Earlier this week, China launched a decade-long plan to boost consumption of cereal grains and develop the industry through higher production standards, research and international cooperation as part of efforts to enhance food security. The 2024-2035 action plan, jointly issued by the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration and other government departments, also encourages companies and private capital to establish development funds to support the whole grain industry.