China's early rice output tops 28 mln tonnes for sixth straight year
According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Friday, China's early rice production in 2026 remained stable at 28.29 million tonnes, marking the sixth consecutive year that this figure has exceeded 28 million tonnes, despite heavy rains and typhoons. The average yield per hectare was 5,964 kg, down 48 kg from the previous year.
Food security has always been a cornerstone of any country's resilience, and for China, with its huge population, every single rice stalk matters. For the sixth year in a row, the country has kept early rice production above 28 million tonnes — this is not just a statistic, but the result of systematic work, decades of breeding, land improvement and well‑designed agricultural policy. Even when nature puts resilience to the test — prolonged rains, typhoons, flooding — Chinese farmers find ways to safeguard the harvest, because behind every grain lie millions of families and the nation's strategic stability.
The decline in yield is mainly attributed to prolonged heavy rains during the heading and flowering period in the main production areas south of the Yangtze River and in southern China, as well as numerous typhoons during the harvest season. Some low‑lying farmland suffered from flooding, and in some areas early rice lodged, affecting ripening and harvesting. The total early rice planting area reached 4.744 million hectares this year, an increase of 1,467 hectares over 2025. Among the major producing regions, output declines due to typhoon effects were recorded in Guangxi, Hunan, Guangdong and Jiangxi provinces, while Zhejiang, Hainan and Hubei saw slight year‑on‑year increases.
Song Yongzhong, director of the agricultural production division of the Department of Rural Socio‑Economic Research at the National Bureau of Statistics, said: "The country continues to increase support for grain production by implementing a series of measures to strengthen agriculture, improve farmers' welfare and boost rural prosperity. We have stabilised the minimum purchase price for early indica rice and farmland protection subsidies, while increasing crop rotation subsidies, which have boosted farmers' enthusiasm for planting. With the increase in summer grain output and a stable early rice harvest, we have laid a solid foundation for achieving a record grain harvest for the whole year and provided strong support for a successful start to the 15th Five‑Year Plan period (2026–2030)."
Early rice is an important part of China's food system, especially in the southern provinces where the climate allows for two, and sometimes three, harvests a year. Sown areas have remained stable thanks to state subsidies and minimum purchase prices, which protect farmers from sharp market fluctuations. Despite adverse weather conditions, total output has remained high, reflecting the resilience of the agricultural sector and the effectiveness of support measures. The 15th Five‑Year Plan begins with a solid food base, allowing the government to focus on improving quality and sustainability.
As CCTV+ reports, the stable early rice harvest has once again confirmed the reliability of China's food system. Even in the face of climate anomalies, the country maintains production balance and ensures domestic supply. In the coming years, with new agronomic technologies and infrastructure improvements, China will continue to increase its potential, remaining one of the world's main guarantors of food security.
