China: 80% of winter wheat now sown as provinces race to advance autumn-winter planting

China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in its latest crop update that more than 80 percent of the country’s winter wheat has been sown, as many provinces move swiftly to advance autumn-winter planting, according to China Media Group (CMG).

Nearly 85 percent of the crop has been sown in the Huang-Huai-Hai region. Central China’s Henan Province is nearing 80 percent, East China’s Anhui Province has passed 80 percent, East China’s Jiangsu Province is about 65 percent, while East China’s Shandong Province and Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province are approaching 90 percent.

Winter rapeseed planting is largely complete, CMG reported. Persistent rainfall has delayed winter-wheat planting in some producing areas, prompting localities to make up for lost time and push autumn-winter sowing forward.

Anhui moved early to map more than 43 million mu (2.87 million hectares) of winter-wheat area down to specific plots and stepped up deep tillage to speed up soil-moisture evaporation. Henan is focusing on fine land preparation and precision seeding, advancing autumn-winter planting to keep the province’s wheat area above 85 million mu.

Jiangsu is prioritizing the use of mechanical uniform-seeding technology to ensure strong seedling emergence, and has deployed 13 provincial expert teams to provide region-specific guidance. In Shandong, where planting for more than 60 million mu of winter wheat is generally running late, authorities are rolling out key contingency technologies for wet-soil and late sowing.

Winter grains are a central pillar of national food security, helping guarantee staple supplies while supporting the processing industries. Their longer growing cycle offers a buffer against climate volatility, making them a key stabilizer for the economy and rural livelihoods, Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Bian Yongzu, a senior researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times that wheat is one of China’s most important staple crops, especially for the densely populated northern provinces, where wheat-based foods dominate. Its timely planting is vital for food security, he said.

Bian noted that winter wheat’s autumn-to-summer growing cycle allows farmers in most areas to plant a second crop of corn or soybeans. “If winter wheat is not sown on time, next year’s grain output and land-use efficiency will be affected,” he said.

He noted that although prolonged autumn rains delayed sowing in patches of Shandong and Henan, planting quickly resumed as conditions improved, with the added moisture even aiding germination. Advances in mechanization, from soil preparation to sowing and fertilizing, helps reduce weather-related risks. “With today’s level of machinery and agricultural technology, China is far less dependent on good weather than before, and efficiency has improved substantially,” Bian said.

Tags: China, planting, winter wheat, crop, winter rapeseed