Farmers drive harvesters through a wheat field in Sanjing Village of Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province, May 27, 2024. (Photo by Zhang Chunlei/Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- More than 60 million mu (4 million hectares) of wheat, or nearly 20 percent of the national total, have been harvested in China as of Monday evening, as the country aims to stabilize its grain output and maintain food security.

Various supports are being provided to facilitate the wheat harvest across the country, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The weather will be suitable for collecting and drying crops in the coming days, the China Meteorological Administration has forecasted.

China's grain output rose 1.3 percent year on year to a record high of 695.41 million tonnes in 2023, which was the ninth consecutive year that the country reported a grain harvest of over 650 million tonnes. The national wheat output came in at 136.59 million tonnes, down 0.8 percent.

The Chinese people seek to hold their rice bowls firmly in their own hands, and have made continuous efforts to that end.

To encourage farmers to grow grain, the central government increased the minimum purchase prices of wheat and rice in 2023, and improved grain subsidy policies for corn and soybean farmers.

"We will improve the systems for grain production, storage and processing, and take comprehensive steps to consolidate the foundation of food security," according to the 2024 government work report.

（Editor:Fu Bo）