China's winter wheat harvest halfway home

Chinese farmers in major wheat growing regions are harvesting this week and, with the help of good weather, more than 50 percent of winter wheat has been taken in.

The Ministry of Agriculture said that farmers have harvested wheat in 172 million mu (11.47 million ha) of fields, with 87 percent gathered by machinery.

More than 95 percent of the winter wheat in the major production bases including Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shandong have been harvested.

China produced 120 million tonnes of wheat last year, one fifth of the world's total.

The ministry urged local authorities to keep a close eye on the weather and accelerate harvesting to ensure a good return.

Last week, the ministry forecast a rise in summer grain output and the 11th consecutive bumper harvest.