BEIJING, China (Reuters) — China plans to increase the amount of land it uses to grow soybeans and other oilseeds by around 815,000 acres in 2019.
China’s agricultural ministry announced the plan Feb. 21, after the country released its first policy statement of the year, which highlighted a plan to boost domestic soybean production.
It did not give numbers for the country’s oilseed acreage in 2018, but the soybean area in the 2017-18 crop year that ended last September was 20.4 million acres. The vast majority of China’s oilseed crop is made up of soybeans.
Beijing intends to raise subsidies for soybean farmers in northern China to help expand acreage in the region, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in the announcement.
China also plans to develop and promote new varieties of soybeans with high yields of oil and protein. The nation mainly uses soybeans to make soymeal, an animal feed ingredient.
