China expected to surpass grain target

16 December 1998

China expected to surpass grain target

CHINA is expected to beat its target grain output of 492.5m tonnes.

A government minister said output would be the second highest on record, after the 1996 harvest of 504.5m tonnes.

The target will be reached despite the years floods, which were the worst in nearly 50 years, and grain prices have fallen sharply.

The Chinese government says the fall means rural incomes this year will grow by less than the governments 5% target.