The final CropWatch estimates for maize, rice, wheat, and soybean production in China are listed in Table 4.2 by province. Additional estimates for different types of rice (grouped by growing seasons) are shown in table 4.3. The final revision of the  production of major crops at the national level remains close to the August forecast. Compared with 2017 rice is down  2%. Wheat production stays at the same level with 121.5 million tons. Maize production is 1% up thanks to the 1.5% increase in  average yield. Soybean production is up 2% due  1.5% increase in yield and 0.6% increase of planted area. Soybean production was revised down by 167 thousand tons from August forecast mainly due to the yield increase having been revised down. Altogether, however, the soybean production still reached a record level since 2012.

Table 4.2. China 2018 production of maize,rice, wheat, and soybean, and percentage change from 2017, by province

* Production for Taiwan province is notincluded.

Maize

As a result of the suppression of maize price subsidization three years ago, the planted area continued to decrease but only marginally so (-0.2%) compared to 2017. CropWatch puts the final yield at the same level as the August forcast, i.e. 1.5% above 2017. The favorable conditions in Northeast China and the Loess Region benefited rainfed maize development and grainfilling. The most significant increase of maize production was observed in the semi-arid Loess Region, including Gansu (+8%), Shaanxi (5%), and Shanxi (7%). The main maize producing province – Heilongjiang – also produced 4% more maize compared to 2017. Maize production of most other provinces remained stable or dropped since 2017.

Table 4.3. China 2018 early rice, single rice, and late rice production and percentage difference from 2017, by province

* Production for Taiwan province is not included.

Rice

CropWatch sets the overall rice production for China at 197.3 million tons, 2% below 2017 mainly due to the decrease of planted area. The final estimate of rice production is about 919 thousand tons above the August prediction because of area cultivated in single and late rice was revised up. The national single rice production was 2% below 2017values because both yield and planted area are estimated at a lower level compared with 2017. The largest drop of single rice production was observed in Ningxia province (-15%) which contributes only little  to the total output. Top producers such as Heilongjiang, Hunan and Sichuan slightly increased production compared to 2017. A large drop for single rice production was observed in Chongqing, Jiangsu and Hubei. Late rice production remains at the  same level as 2017 but the relative share of provinces changed, with drops in Anhui (4%), Guangxi (6%), Jiangsu (9%) and Zhejiang (4%). 

Wheat

Wheat production is almost same as the August estimates except for some spring wheat producing provinces such as Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Gansu. CropWatch puts China’s annual wheat production for 2018 at 121.5 million tons, the same volume as during as during 2017.

Soybean

China’s total soybean production for 2018 is revised to 14 million tons, 167 thousand tons down or 1.2% below the August prediction. Among the major producing provinces, Anhui, Jiangsu, Liaoning and Shandong reduced outputs compared to 2017 while the two top producers (Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia), were 2% and 4% above 2017, respectively.

Total food production

CropWatch puts the total 2018 output of summer crops (including maize, single rice, late rice, spring wheat, soybean, minor cereals, and tubers) at 418.8 million tons, at the same level as 2017. The total annual crop production is estimated at 579.1 million tons, down 0.1% from 2017 (397 thousand tons decrease). The total annual output is listed by province in table 4.4. A remarkable feature is the poor performance of Shandong province with all crops (winterwheat, maize, soybean, or total winter crops and summer crops) producing less than during 2017. 

Table 4.4. China 2018 winter crops, earlyrice, summer crops and total annual crop production and percentage differencefrom 2017, by province

* Production for Taiwan province is not included.

# Total annual crop production includes cereals,legumes and tubers.