Bumper Wheat Crop Boosts Confidence

　　今年，我国又将迎来一个小麦丰收年。2005年，我国计划增加66万公顷小麦的播种面积。小麦在我国是仅次于大米主要的农作物。

With a bumper harvest in sight for this year, China is sowing the seeds for a fruitful 2005, planning to expand its acreage for wheat -- the nation's second most important crop after rice -- by 666,600 hectares .

The added area is expected to increase China's wheat production by at least 3.5 million tons, said Wang Xiaobing, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture. Based on last year's official statistics, total winter wheat seedlings for 2005 will be expanded to 22.7 million hectares. In China, only 10 per cent of the wheat crop is sown in spring, according to Wang. The wheat acreage expansion paves the way for the country to secure yet another bumper harvest, Wang said. A good summer harvest usually means an advantageous agricultural production year, since the autumn harvest is generally used to offset losses from summer harvest shortfalls, experts said. Summer grain wheat represents 23 per cent of China's total grain production. This year, summer grain output has increased by 5 per cent year on year to hit 101.05 million tons, ministry statistics indicate. With the increased summer grain counted, the country's output of food grain for the whole year is expected to reach the target of 455 million tons, Wang said. Like last year, 2005 will be another key year for China to recover its grain production, which dipped from a record high of 512 million tons in 1998 to 430 million tons in 2003, according to ministry sources. Minister of Agriculture Du Qinglin earlier said in 2003 his ministry planned to increase grain output by 45 million tons in three years. Upon reaching the goal, the country's grain output will total 475 million tons, a point generally regarded as being able to basically balance grain market supply and demand -- with a marginal amount of imported grain, Wang said.