China's grain output likely to rise again

BEIJING -- China is likely to see another bumper year of grain production, making 2013 the 10th year in a row of increased output, the Ministry of Agriculture predicted on Friday.

It will be the first time the country has achieved 10 consecutive years of rising grain harvests since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the government agency said in a statement.

The ministry said this year's harvest, despite various challenges, including weather and pest disasters, was achieved with the help of supportive government policies, technology and disaster control efforts.

The country's grain output this summer, mostly wheat, hit a record high of 132 million tons, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. In 2012, its grain output climbed 3.2 percent from a year earlier to 589.57 million tons.

As the world's most populous nation and the largest grain consumer, China has stepped up efforts to ensure its food security, including boosting agricultural technology to increase land yield and guaranteeing the area of arable land.