China to expand plantation of ratoon rice by over 666,000 hectares

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- China plans to expand its ratoon rice cultivation area by approximately 10 million mu (about 666,666 hectares) by 2030, as part of efforts to bolster food security, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Ratoon rice, which is grown from the seedlings of buds that remain at nodes of rice stubble following the harvest of the main rice crop, is considered a green and resource-efficient rice production system.

China has outlined phased targets, region-specific measures, and policy support to optimize ratoon rice production, according to a guideline on ratoon rice development (2025-2030) issued by the ministry.

According to Zhang Weijian, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the country's ratoon rice cultivation currently covers over 15 million mu, mainly in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and southwestern and southern regions.

China enjoys the potential to cultivate ratoon rice further, Zhang said, adding that extreme weather and insufficient mechanization are major challenges.

To cope with the adverse factors, Zhang suggested making efforts to improve varieties, strengthening the research and development of related agricultural machinery, and providing technical training.