The cultivated area and the production of four major crops for China and each province was estimated and forecast based on a combination of agro-meteorological ground-based modeling and satellite data. They include multi-source remote sensing data such as ESA Sentinel 2 A/B satellite, US Landsat 8 satellite, Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Chinese satellite data such as Gaofen-1 and Gaofen-2 satellite. Ground data  cover more than 370,000 samples taken in 502 districts and counties in Northeast China, North China and the lower Yangtze River regions,  This is the first time that CropWatch uses the latest national 10 m resolution cropland data layer from for 2017-2018.  

The total output of maize in China in 2019 was down by 2.1% to 217,156 thousand tonnes, which was 4605 thousand tonnes less than that in 2018. The yield decreased by 1.7% nationwide. The planted area was 39,650 thousand hectares, down by 0.4% from 2018. The planted area in Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia decreased slightly, by 28 thousand hectares and 11 thousand hectares respectively. It remained almost same as 2018 in Jilin and Liaoning. Due to shortage of rainfall during sowing period, the planted area declined in Shandong, Shanxi, Henan and Hebei. The largest drop of maize planted area was observed in Shanxi and Shandong, with a reduction of 59 thousand hectares and 44 thousand hectares, respectively. The abundant rainfall with appropriate radiation in the north of Northeast China (Heilongjiang, Jilin and Inner Mongolia) benefited crops and resulted in increased yield. Since the sowing of Maize in Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong and Henan provinces, the precipitation had been relatively low, and the yield of maize decreased by more than 2% for each province. Typhoon Limagi in early August brought heavy rainfall to the eastern coastal provinces (Shandong, Jiangsu, etc.), alleviating drought and causing floods, which had a negative impact on maize production in some areas.

Rice production reached 198,830 thousand tonnes, up 0.8% from 2018. The planted area was 32,628 thousand hectares, an increase of 185 thousand hectares or 0.6%. In Jiangsu and Anhui, the main rice producing provinces, areas increased by 2.3% and 1.0% respectively. Due to continous rainy weather and lack of radiation, the yield of early rice decreased by 809 thousand tonnes (2.4%). To be more specific, the yield of early rice in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Jiangxi decreased by more than 4%. Due to favorable weather which resulted in a 1.2% increase in yield,  the production of mid-season rice/one-season rice was up by 1.3% to 130,440 thousand tonnes, an increase of 1,643 thousand tonnes. The yield of late rice was up by 1.9% to 35,152 thousand tonnes, an increase of 671 thousand tonnes, while the yield of late rice in Hubei, Jiangxi and Zhejiang decreased.

The output of wheat reached 123,516 thousand tonnes, up 1.6% over 2018. Remote sensing estimates showed a 0.4% increase in wheat planted area (23,315 thousand hectares). The increase of production in Henan (increased by 1,224 thousand tonnes) and in Shandong (+724 thousand tonnes) resulted from both area and yield being up above their 2018 values. The total production of the other provinces was almost the same as that of the previous year.

The national soybean output reached 14,441 thousand tonnes, an increase of 405 thousand tonnes, with a year-on-year increase of 2.9%. The planted area of soybean in China is 7,901 thousand hectares, an increase of 266 thousand hectares or an increase of 3.5% over last year. This has been the fourth consecutive years for the increase of soybean planted area: +137 thousand hectares or +5.4% in Heilongjiang, contributing to 52% of the national increase of soybean planted area. The area cultivated with soybean is up in Inner Mongolia, Henan and Jilin (18 kha, 14 kha and 11 kha respectively), but it decreased in Anhui, Liaoning, Shandong and Shanxi. In spite of a drop in yield (0.6%) in Huanghuaihai Plain due to drought, the main soybean producing province (Heilongjiang) increased output by 314 thousand tonnes (+6.6%). In Inner Mongolia and Jilin Province, production increased by 55 thousand tonnes and 74 thousand tonnes respectively. Severe drought hampered the soybean growth in Shandong and Shanxi, resulting in yield drops of 9.1% and 12.6% respectively (equivalent to 61 thousand tonnes and 21 thousand tonnes). Soybean yields also fell in Anhui, Henan, Liaoning and Hebei.

The total output of autumn crops (including maize, mid-season rice, late rice, spring wheat, soybean, miscellaneous grain and tubers) is estimated to be 455,037 thousand tonnes, down 0.5% or 2,159 thousand tonnes from 2018. The total output of summer grains 2018-2019 is 128,044 thousand tonnes. Compared with the previous season, the increase reaches 1.4% or 1,185 thousand tonnes.

Table 4.3, China 2019 production of maize, rice, wheat, and soybean, and percentage change from 2018, by province

* Production for Taiwan province is not included.

Table 4.4. China 2019 early rice, single rice, and late rice production and percentage difference from 2018, by province

* Production for Taiwan province is not included.