According to the Ministry of Agriculture, since both the area and average yield per mu of early rice increased this year, China's total early rice yield will hopefully reach 66 billion kilograms, hitting an eight year record high. The area for high-quality early rice varieties accounted for 77 percent of the total, up 2.7 percentage points year-on-year.

By July 26, 79.12 million mu of China's early rice had been harvested, accounting for 89 percent of the total area. For 2009, a bumper harvest of early rice has been confirmed. This year China's total area of early rice is estimated to be over 88 million mu, an increase of about 3 million mu compared to 2008, reversing a three year trend of decline.

At the same time, thanks to the minimum purchase price increase for early rice, the market price has remained quite steady. In addition, prices for agricultural materials like chemical fertilizers have stabilized or decreased. It is estimated that this year will see the income from early rice increase compared to 2008, reversing a trend of decline in recent years.

The bumper harvest of early rice this year is mainly because China has further strengthened its policy to support grain production, improved all kinds of subsidies, and greatly raised the minimum purchase prices for grains.

In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture has further promoted high-yield fields, and created 241 ten-thousand-mu high-yield trial fields for double crop rice, an increase of 178 from 2008.

By People's Daily Online