Production of wheat to drop for first time since '04

China's wheat production will decrease this year for the first time in 12 years, the result of a reduction in acreage and unfavorable weather conditions caused by El Nino, a government report said on Friday.

The country's wheat acreage is expected to reach 24.12 million hectares this year, down 20,000 hectares year-on-year, with wheat production expected to reach 130.1 million metric tons, down about 100,000 metric tons from last year, according to the report, China Agricultural Outlook 2016-25.

This would mark the first decrease in wheat production since 2004.

The report, released by the Market Early Warning Expert Committee under the Ministry of Agriculture, said meteorological factors as a result of the strongest El Nino in history will negatively affect the country's grain production, including wheat.

El Nino is a climate phenomenon that arises in the Pacific Ocean and changes weather worldwide.

The global weather pattern will take tolls on the yield of rice, wheat and corn, said Tang Ke, head of the Department of Market and Economic Information under the ministry. Tang made the remark at the 2016 China Agricultural Outlook conference in Beijing on Friday.

The report also cited the government's efforts to prevent over-extraction of groundwater in northern China as a factor in the decreased wheat acreage.

However, Cao Hui, a senior researcher with the ministry's Research Center for Rural Economy, said it is unlikely that the country will see a sharp decrease in wheat acreage or production, as the country will uphold the self-sufficiency policy for staple food crops.

The production volume of wheat accounts for about 21 percent of total grain production, with the acreage also making up 21 percent of total grain acreage.

"Thus the decrease in wheat production is unlikely to pose challenges to the country's food security," she said.

The report estimates that the country's wheat acreage will decrease by 0.9 percent by 2025, but production volume will rise as a result of increased yields.

Total wheat production is expected to reach 132.79 million tons in 2025, an increase of 2 percent from last year.

xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn