Autumn Grain Collection Exceeds 100 Million Tonnes as New Storage Methods Roll Out

According to CCTV News Client, the latest dispatch data from the State Administration of Grain and Reserves shows that this year’s autumn grain collection across China has got off to a steady start. Grain enterprises in major producing regions have purchased more than 100 million tonnes of autumn grain, a relatively high level for this period in recent years.

Corn is moved into tall natural air‑drying silos in Qitaihe, Heilongjiang. Wet corn travels along conveyor belts up to the 18‑metre structures, where ambient airflow reduces moisture content. All of the 66 large air‑drying silos built locally by Qitaihe Agricultural Investment Grain Group are now operational. The diamond‑shaped ventilation design delivers even moisture removal and lowers the risk of mould compared with traditional open‑air drying.

Seamless links between field harvesting and depot intake operate in Lishu, Jilin Province. Real‑time positioning data for farm machinery and delivery lorries is displayed at a scheduling centre for COFCO’s modern agricultural demonstration zone. Vehicles enter the site in staggered batches to cut queuing times, and grain is transported directly from fields to depots without intermediate stacking and wastage. The service covers 152,900 mu of farmland across 40 farming cooperatives in the county.

The State Administration of Grain and Reserves forecasts total purchases during the peak autumn grain season to reach around 350 million tonnes. The Agricultural Development Bank of China set aside CNY 200 billion in special credit by mid‑October ahead of the collection peak, while sufficient storage capacity has been prepared across all major producing regions. Authorities have drawn up response plans for wet weather and coordinated access to drying and cleaning facilities for farmers.

New service arrangements have been put in place at depots operated by China Supply and Marketing Grains in Siping, Jilin. Two temporary covered storage sheds with a combined holding capacity of roughly 1,800 tonnes act as buffer zones for wet grain. The site can process 500 tonnes of grain for drying each day and serves more than ten surrounding townships. The whole intake process, including sampling, laboratory testing, weighing, unloading and settlement, is recorded on an intelligent one‑card system, reducing manual intervention and creating traceable records. Depot branches belonging to the supply and marketing network across Heilongjiang, Jilin, Henan and Hebei have opened for intake, offering extended opening hours, pre‑booking and immediate bank transfer payments.

The national minimum purchase price policy for rice remains in force in major rice producing areas. With approval from relevant national authorities, China Grain Reserves Group has activated the 2026 minimum purchase price plan for mid‑late rice in eligible areas across Hubei, Hunan, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu and Jiangxi.

The trigger rules stipulate that the scheme will launch in selected locations after monitored depot purchase prices stay below the minimum threshold for three consecutive days, following submissions by local China Grain Reserves branches and provincial authorities and approval from the State Administration of Grain and Reserves. The scheme will be shut down once prices remain above the threshold for three consecutive days.

Tendered purchasing has begun simultaneously in Xinyang, Nanyang and Zhumadian in Henan Province. Extended operating hours are adopted at depots to speed up unloading. Thirteen working groups supported by nine affiliated enterprises are deployed at the Xinyang directly managed depot, handling over 8,000 tonnes each day. China Grain Reserves Group has published more than 140 designated depots for minimum price collection, offering over 3.3 million tonnes of storage capacity. Rotation purchasing has also commenced across producing regions including Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei at a faster pace than the same period last year, with bid prices set marginally above prevailing market rates.