(ECNS) -- China's corn growing area is estimated to fall by more than two million hectares this year, the first drop in 13 years, as the country adjusts it agricultural industry.
Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu said at a meeting that the pressing issues in China's agriculture sector are breed imbalances, as corn supply exceeds demand and imports of soybeans, cotton, oil plants and sugar crops increase year by year.
He called for a reduction of corn growing and an increase of planting high-quality soybeans.
Han also said China will deepen reforms in rural areas to guarantee quality, improve efficiency, reduce costs, and transform the growth model to be sustainable.
China aims to limit its corn area to 500 million mu (333 million hectares) by 2020, which means a total cut of 3.3 million hectares, said sources from the Ministry of Agriculture.
The average rural income reached 6,050 yuan ($912) in the first half of the year, with a growth rate of 6.7 percent and 0.9 percentage points higher than urban residents, said Han.
