Exclusive Interview with Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Changfu: Discussing a Bountiful Grain Harvest in a Year of Multiple Disasters

In the golden autumn season, the fragrance of rice and millet fills the air, marking another year of bountiful harvests. Recently, reports of bumper crops have been pouring in from across the country. This year’s summer grain and early‑season rice have already been harvested in abundance. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, a successful autumn grain harvest is now virtually assured, with overall grain output expected to rise significantly. Average yields per mu are projected to increase by nearly 2 kilograms, keeping total production steady at around 650 billion jin for the sixth consecutive year. As the third “Chinese Farmers’ Harvest Festival” approaches, General Secretary Xi Jinping sent a special congratulatory message, emphasizing that this year’s abundant harvest was hard won and has provided strong support for maintaining overall economic and social stability.

This year, China’s grain production has not been smooth sailing. At the start of the new year, the sudden COVID‑19 pandemic dealt a severe blow to the economy and society, posing formidable challenges to ensuring timely agricultural work. During the main flood season, the Yangtze River basin suffered its most serious flooding since 1998; in mid‑July, western Northeast China experienced a summer drought; and from late August to early September, an unprecedented three typhoons struck the region in succession. Meanwhile, major pests and diseases such as the fall armyworm have caused particularly heavy damage in some areas. The frequent occurrence of these disasters has placed grain and agricultural production under multiple pressures. Many people wonder: in a year marked by overlapping pandemics and natural disasters, how was it possible to achieve a bumper harvest? To shed light on this question, our reporter conducted an exclusive interview with Han Changfu, Director of the Central Rural Work Office and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Reporter: Compared with previous years, what special significance does this year’s bumper grain harvest hold?

Han Changfu: This year is a special one: it marks the concluding year of the 13th Five-Year Plan and the decisive year in the battle against poverty. We will achieve a moderately prosperous society in all respects, thus fulfilling the first centenary goal—a milestone of historic significance. At the same time, this year has brought unprecedented challenges: the COVID‑19 pandemic has swept across the globe, domestic economic downward pressure has intensified, and the external environment has undergone complex changes, posing numerous challenges to every aspect of economic and social development. The confluence of these unique circumstances—this exceptional year, this extraordinary context, and these formidable challenges—ensures that securing a bumper grain harvest this year carries an unusually profound and special significance.

First and foremost, ensuring that the Chinese people have sufficient food has provided strong support for overall economic and social stability. Among the eight fundamental principles of governance, food security stands first. With a population of 1.4 billion, every person needs to eat—every day. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that addressing the food needs of 1.4 billion people remains the top priority in governing the country, and that safeguarding national food security must never be relaxed. Since the launch of reform and opening-up, China has sustained rapid economic growth and long-term social stability; a key lesson learned is that abundant agricultural harvests, secure food supplies, and public confidence have underpinned this success. The recent pandemic has once again underscored the paramount importance of ensuring national food security and keeping the “bowl of rice” firmly in hand. Faced with this year’s sudden COVID‑19 outbreak and an extremely complex domestic and international environment, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that, the greater the risks and challenges, the more crucial it is to stabilize agriculture and ensure the safety of grain and essential agricultural products. At this year’s Two Sessions, he noted that despite the severity of the COVID‑19 pandemic, Chinese society has remained stable, thanks in no small part to the steady supply of food and key agricultural commodities.

Secondly, having food in hand ensures peace of mind and enables us to seize strategic initiative in the face of a complex international environment. At present, the COVID‑19 pandemic continues to spread globally, disrupting world food trade and supply chains. Coupled with this year’s severe natural disasters and widespread outbreaks of pests and diseases—such as the desert locust plague sweeping across more than 20 countries in East Africa, West Asia, and South Asia, and unprecedented droughts in several nations—the global agricultural sector is under significant strain. In response to the escalating pandemic, countries worldwide are seeking to bolster their food security buffers; some have imposed export restrictions, expanded imports, and built up reserves, sparking widespread domestic and international concerns about a potential food crisis. Under these circumstances, it is imperative that we focus on our own affairs, strengthen domestic grain production, and strive for a bumper harvest in both grain and agriculture. By ensuring the stability of domestic food supplies, we can better navigate the uncertainties of the international market, maintain composure amid adversity, and firmly hold the initiative in addressing all kinds of risks and challenges.

Third, abundant and bountiful agricultural production has laid a solid foundation for eradicating poverty and achieving moderate prosperity in all respects. Fully building a moderately prosperous society and eliminating absolute poverty in rural areas are pressing tasks that must be accomplished this year. The “no worries about food and clothing, and three guarantees” constitute the core criteria for lifting people out of poverty, with “no worries about food” being the top priority. Ensuring that all Chinese citizens have sufficient, good‑quality, and nutritious food is essential to underpinning and strengthening moderate prosperity. At present, agricultural production remains a vital source of income for many farmers, particularly those in major grain‑producing regions and impoverished areas. Since the beginning of the year, agricultural prices have remained generally stable; following the release of early‑season rice and wheat, prices have risen steadily, corn prices have continued to climb, and market conditions for vegetables, meat, dairy products, and other “vegetable basket” items have also been favorable—resulting in high yields, favorable prices, and increased incomes. In short, this year’s bumper harvest of grain and other agricultural products has consolidated the gains made in poverty alleviation and enhanced the quality of our efforts to achieve moderate prosperity across the board.

Reporter: With the Mid-Autumn Festival just a few days away, it is commonly said that “the harvest is sealed on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.” Could you please tell us about this year’s grain production outlook?

Han Changfu: September 22 marks the autumn equinox. As an old farming proverb goes, “If you don’t sow in the autumn equinox, every field will be reaped with a sickle,” signaling that the autumn grain harvest is just around the corner. Based on the current situation, the first two crops—summer grain and early rice—have already been harvested in abundance, with yields up by 2.42 billion jin and 2.06 billion jin, respectively, compared with last year. Summer grain production has reached a record high, and the outlook for autumn grain is also quite favorable, with a bumper harvest in sight. In short, this year is shaping up to be another bountiful one, with a promising grain harvest.

The bulk of the year’s grain production comes from the autumn harvest. During his inspection tour in Jilin in July, General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly called for a strong yield in the autumn grain season. Our assessment that this year’s autumn grain will enjoy a bumper harvest rests on two key factors. First, the planted area has expanded significantly: this year’s autumn‑grain acreage is projected to exceed 1.28 billion mu, up 8 million mu from last year. In particular, corn—Northeast China’s major high‑yield crop—has seen a substantial increase, laying a solid foundation for a good harvest. Second, crop conditions have been generally favorable. The four northeastern provinces and autonomous regions typically produce around 350 billion jin of grain, accounting for more than one‑third of the nation’s total autumn grain output. This spring, abundant rainfall during the sowing period was followed by a well‑balanced combination of sunlight, temperature, and moisture, resulting in robust seedling development. In the summer, some counties in the traditionally dry western regions experienced midsummer drought, which did affect local autumn crops—but the impact was limited. Then, in late August and early September, central Northeast China was hit by three consecutive typhoons, causing localized lodging of corn. We promptly organized experts to assess the damage; since the corn had already entered the wax‑ripe stage, with 80–90 percent of its yield already set, the lodging had only a minor effect on overall production, primarily increasing harvesting difficulty and costs. At present, corn, rice, and soybeans across the Northeast are all poised for large‑scale harvest. In the Yangtze River basin, flooding during the rainy season damaged mid‑season and late‑season rice, but the expansion of planted area helped offset these losses. Following the floods, most of southern China has enjoyed clear, favorable weather, conducive to crop growth and maturation. On the Huanghuaihai Plain and the Fenwei Plain, where autumn grain production is dominated by summer‑sown corn, crops have also entered the wax‑ripe stage, with growth outpacing the long‑term average. The threat posed by the fall armyworm has passed, leaving a bountiful harvest within reach. Meanwhile, other major producing regions have benefited from relatively favorable weather, ensuring normal crop development.

Reporter: This year, China has faced the COVID‑19 pandemic, along with severe disasters such as flooding in the south, drought in the northeast, typhoons, and major outbreaks of pests and diseases. Under these circumstances, how did the country still manage to achieve a bumper harvest?

Han Changfu: This year has indeed been a year of multiple disasters for agriculture, with grain production facing one setback after another and navigating several critical challenges. During spring plowing and preparation, it braved the COVID‑19 pandemic; during the double harvest season for rice in southern China, it weathered severe flooding; and before the autumn harvest in Northeast China, it withstood the impact of typhoons. It also endured threats from pests such as the fall armyworm. Against a backdrop of frequent and recurring disasters, achieving a bumper harvest in both grain production and agriculture has been no easy feat. In sum, this year’s success in securing a bountiful harvest despite mounting challenges is the result of concerted efforts across all fronts, with the most fundamental factor being the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee.

First, the central government attaches great importance to policies and has implemented sound measures. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have shown exceptional concern and placed high priority on ensuring this year’s grain production. General Secretary Xi Jinping has issued important instructions and directives at critical junctures in grain and agricultural production, emphasizing the need to seize every opportunity to advance spring farming, ensure timely sowing, secure a bumper summer harvest, and strive for a good autumn harvest. Premier Li Keqiang has convened numerous State Council executive meetings to deliberate and deploy measures related to spring farming, disaster prevention and mitigation, and post-disaster recovery. The state has introduced a series of policies to support grain production, raising the minimum procurement prices for early-season rice and medium- to late-season indica rice, and allocating over 4 billion yuan in integrated funds to help major early-rice-producing areas restore double-cropping rice systems. Even amid tight central fiscal conditions, subsidies for corn and soybean producers have been kept at a stable level, effectively boosting local governments’ commitment to agriculture and farmers’ enthusiasm for cultivating grain. It is estimated that the total area under grain cultivation will increase by approximately 10 million mu compared with last year.

Second, we adopted an unconventional, all‑out approach. In this year’s exceptional circumstances, with frequent disasters, we implemented a series of special measures in agricultural production—linking each step tightly and ensuring that grain production was carried out promptly, effectively, and with meticulous attention to detail. The State Council convened the National Spring Agricultural Production Work Conference one month ahead of schedule, making early arrangements to stabilize grain output. At the critical stage of spring plowing, under the name of the Central Leading Group for COVID‑19 Response, it issued the “Guidance on Current Spring Farming Operations,” which strongly facilitated the phased, tiered resumption of spring farming across regions. Notably, with the approval of the State Council, this year’s grain‑sown area was designated as a binding target, while grain output was set as a guiding indicator, and these were allocated to the governments of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, clearly defining objectives and responsibilities and ensuring their rigorous implementation—something unprecedented in recent years. During key agricultural periods—spring preparation, summer harvest, and autumn management and harvesting—we sounded the “Four‑Season Song,” deploying strategies region by region and conducting weekly coordination meetings. Vice Premier Hu Chunhua repeatedly held video conferences at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to provide guidance on agricultural production in various provinces. In response to the unusually severe agricultural disasters this year, we issued early warning information and promptly put disaster prevention and mitigation measures into effect, notably establishing four “blocking belts” against the fall armyworm and three “lines of defense” against desert locusts, thereby minimizing damage from pests and diseases.

Third, heaven rewards the diligent and human effort pays off. Compared with previous years, this year has seen a tighter farming calendar, more pressing agricultural tasks, and more severe disasters—making it impossible to secure a bumper harvest without dedicated human effort. At the most challenging stage of COVID‑19 prevention and control, which also coincided with the peak of spring plowing and preparation, farmers across the board responded to the call, worked hard to overcome the pandemic’s impact, and promptly went to the fields to apply fertilizer, weed, prevent and treat diseases, prepare seeds and raise seedlings, till and soak the soil, and prune branches and pick tea—ensuring that epidemic control and spring farming preparations proceeded in parallel. When floods struck southern regions, farmers raced to harvest early rice, hurried to dry it, drained standing water, and planted late rice as quickly as possible, promptly replanting or making supplemental sowings to ensure that all early rice was harvested and all late rice was sown. After typhoons battered Northeast China, farmers creatively modified harvesting machinery to promptly collect crops knocked down by the storm. Securing a bountiful grain harvest also hinges on scientific and technological contributions: we swiftly formulated over 30 sets of production‑technology guidelines and disaster‑prevention and mitigation recommendations, dispatched more than 40 expert teams in response to seasonal conditions and disaster situations, and mobilized grassroots agricultural scientists and technicians to work directly on the front lines, battling the pandemic and braving wind and rain, providing timely guidance and services without missing critical farming windows, and helping farmers put key technologies into practice in the fields. Chinese farmers and the vast ranks of grassroots agricultural extension workers are hardworking and admirable; they refuse to bow in the face of hardship and never give up when confronted with disasters. It is precisely their tireless efforts that have yielded the fruits of a bountiful harvest even in a year fraught with challenges.

Reporter: This year has been a bumper harvest, with grain supplies firmly secured. Against this backdrop, how should we interpret the current rise in grain prices and the increase in import volumes?

Han Changfu: This year, the global COVID‑19 pandemic has continued to spread, causing volatility in international agricultural markets. Public concern over food security—stemming from worries about rising prices and supply shortages—is understandable, underscoring the central importance of food in people’s daily lives. Let me begin by affirming that China’s food security is firmly assured. Our country has enjoyed 16 consecutive years of bumper harvests, with grain output remaining above 650 million metric tons for five years running. At present, China’s grain reserves are at historically high levels; in particular, stocks of rice and wheat—the two staple grains—can meet the annual consumption needs of the entire population. This year, grain production is looking promising, market supplies are ample, and prices have remained broadly stable, ensuring that feeding 1.4 billion people is not a problem.

On grain imports: China’s food security strategy is encapsulated in twenty characters: “self-reliance as the mainstay, domestic production as the foundation, ensuring production capacity, moderate imports, and science‑and‑technology support.” Moderate imports are dictated by China’s national conditions and resource endowments. In terms of total grain imports, China has typically imported around 100 million tons annually in recent years, with cereals accounting for less than 20 percent—roughly 2 percent of domestic output—primarily to balance supply and demand for specific varieties such as high‑gluten and low‑gluten wheat. This year, grain imports have increased somewhat, but only modestly, with a slight rise in corn imports. The bulk of imports consists of soybeans, which consistently total 80–90 million tons, representing over 80 percent of total imports, mainly to meet demand for feed and edible oil. By international convention, soybean production and trade are not counted as part of grain statistics. As a major soybean producer, China is also the world’s largest consumer; the increase in soybean imports is driven primarily by rapidly growing demand for oilseed processing and feed use. At present, per capita annual consumption of edible vegetable oil stands at approximately 24 kilograms, nearly ten times the level of the 1980s and about 5 kilograms above the global average. In fact, domestic soybean production has remained relatively stable in recent years; in 2019, China’s total soybean output reached 18.1 million tons, a record high. However, the growth rate of production has lagged far behind that of consumption, necessitating imports to fill the domestic shortfall. This pattern is likely to persist for some time to come, reflecting China’s strategy of leveraging both domestic and international markets and resources.

Regarding grain prices: According to monitoring, in August this year, the average price of the three major grains—rice, wheat, and corn—was 1.23 yuan per jin, up from both the beginning of the year and the same period last year. This represents a recovery-driven increase amid years of rising production costs and prolonged low grain prices; the magnitude of the rise is modest, reflecting normal market fluctuations. This year, rice and wheat prices have remained stable with slight increases, while corn prices have risen more noticeably. The uptick in corn prices stems from factors such as the recovery of hog production capacity and growing demand from deep-processing enterprises, as well as speculative activity in the capital markets and irrational hoarding. At present, overall societal corn inventories remain ample, and this year’s harvest is expected to be abundant. With the new crop soon to be harvested and brought to market, supply is set to expand further. Recently, corn prices have begun to stabilize, and there is little prospect of a sharp price surge going forward.

We should adopt a comprehensive and rational perspective on the reasonable rise in grain prices; at present, overall grain prices remain relatively low. Over the more than 40 years of reform and opening-up, urban residents’ average incomes have increased by more than a hundredfold, while grain prices have risen by less than tenfold. It is essential to balance both ensuring food supply and safeguarding farmers’ incomes; otherwise, “low grain prices will discourage farming and lead to reduced grain production.” As for why people waste food, one reason lies in flawed attitudes that fail to value it, while another stems from the fact that grain prices are too low, making it seem like little effort is required to obtain it. Despite consecutive bumper harvests and ample supplies, every grain is hard-earned: from sowing to harvest, a single wheat kernel passes through four seasons—autumn, winter, spring, and summer—spanning over 230 days, and traveling from field to table is no easy feat. We must heed General Secretary Xi Jinping’s call to conserve grain and reduce waste.

At present, the large-scale autumn grain harvest is imminent nationwide. In accordance with the central government’s directives, we will spare no effort to secure a bumper autumn harvest, ensure orderly harvesting operations, and effectively coordinate agricultural machinery. Across the country, 2 million combine harvesters will be deployed for autumn harvesting, helping to minimize grain losses during the harvest process. We are determined to bring home this year’s abundant yield and ensure a bountiful harvest of both grain and agriculture in this year of moderate prosperity.

Source: News Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs