National grain yield hit record high in 2024

China's grain output hit a record 700 million metric tons last year, with per capita grain availability reaching 500 kilograms, ensuring the nation's basic self-sufficiency in cereals and absolute security in staple food, according to Han Jun, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The total output for last year was 37 million tons higher than in 2020, demonstrating that the country has made remarkable achievements in food production, poverty reduction and rural development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25). It has laid a stronger foundation for national food security and modernization, Han said on Tuesday at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office.

Han said China's campaign against poverty, declared successful in 2020, continues to deliver results. More than 6 million people identified as at risk of falling back into poverty have been assisted, while over 30 million people having been lifted out of poverty are employed outside their hometowns each year, keeping household incomes stable.

Commenting on how income growth in former poverty-stricken counties has outpaced the national rural average, he said, "The achievement is a contribution of Chinese wisdom to global poverty reduction."

Agricultural modernization has also advanced in recent years. China has built over 67 million hectares of high-standard farmland, raised the contribution rate of science and technology in farming to 63.2 percent, and boosted the comprehensive mechanization rate of crop cultivation and harvest to over 75 percent. More than 96 percent of crops are now planted with improved seed varieties, according to the minister.

Rural industries and living conditions have also improved, Han said, adding that the revenue of large-scale agricultural processing enterprises reached 18 trillion yuan ($2.5 trillion) in 2024. The share of households with sanitary toilets rose to 76 percent nationwide.

Villages have seen upgrades in water, electricity, roads, gas, housing and digital access. Cultural initiatives such as village basketball and soccer, as well as village galas have flourished alongside campaigns against lavish wedding gifts, Han said.

Farmers' incomes have continued to rise. Last year, rural residents' per capita disposable income reached 23,119 yuan. The urban-rural income gap narrowed further, with the ratio falling from 2.56:1 in 2020 to 2.34:1 last year, he added.