Structural adjustment for crop production continued. In 2003, the sown area for grain was 99.41 million hectares, a year-on-year decrease of 4.48 million hectares, and the sown areas of sugar crops was 1.65 million hectares, a decrease of 170,000 hectares. The sown areas of cotton were 5.11 million hectares, an increase of 920,000 hectares. The sown areas of oil-bearing crops rose by 200,000 hectares to reach 14.97 million hectares, and that for vegetables rose by 560,000 hectares to reach 17.91 million hectares.

The production of major farm crops decreased, including grain, cotton, oil-bearing crops and sugar crops. Fruit and vegetable output continued to grow with increased variety and quality. The total grain output in 2003 was 430.67 million tons, down by 26.39 million tons or 5.8 percent over the previous year (see Table 2).

Steady progress was seen in animal husbandry and fisheries. The total meat output for the year reached 69.20 million tons, up by 5.1 percent. Out of this total, beef and mutton output was up 12.9 percent and 10.8 per cent respectively. Rapid growth was recorded in the output of cows' milk. The total output of aquatic products was 46.90 million tons, up by 2.8 percent.

Table 2: Output of Major Farm Products, 2003

Over 780,000 hectares of land were converted into farmland with effective irrigation system, another 1.37 million hectares of land were guaranteed by water-saving irrigation schemes.

(China.org.cn March 1, 2004)