China, the world's second-largest corn consumer, produced 215.67 million tonnes of corn this year, down from 218 million tonnes in 2013, data from the statistics bureau showed. Output of the grain, used in the country's huge animal feed market, was slightly higher than forecast after drought hit the country's grain basket in the north-east. Total grain output rose by almost 1 percent to 607 million tonnes, thanks to higher output of other popular food grains.
Wheat output hit 126 million tonnes, above last year's production of about 122 million tonnes, when frost during the growing period followed by rain at harvest, sharply reduced the size of that year's crop. China produced 206.4 million tonnes of rice, slightly lower than an earlier forecast of 207.3 million tonnes but higher than the 203 million tonnes in 2013.
"Although some regions were heavily hit by disasters, the national average grain yield still increased by 0.2 percent; in particular, the yield per mu (0.0667 hectare) of summer grain increased by 3.5 percent, registering the biggest increase in the past 8 years," the agriculture ministry said in a statement. The area planted with grains has increased by 782,667 hectares to 112.7 million hectares, added the ministry. The area sown with high-yield corn has increased by 758,000 hectares.
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