Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 17th Topic: Abundant Grain and Stable Energy—Observation on Strengthening Food Security Guarantee and Improving Energy Supply Capability in my country Since the Year
Xinhua News Agency reporters Dai Xiaohe and Yu Wenjing
The latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that the current autumn grain production is generally stable, and the annual grain output is expected to remain above 1.3 trillion catties; in October, the production of industrial raw coal, crude oil, natural gas, and electricity above designated size maintained year-on-year growth.
Since the beginning of this year, the food and energy industries have properly responded to the impact of the epidemic and market changes, and taken various measures to ensure supply and price stability, which has played an important role in economic recovery.
Food production is going well
Fu Linghui, spokesman of the National Bureau of Statistics, said that the total production of summer grain and early rice has increased this year. The current production of autumn grain is generally stable, and the annual grain output is expected to remain above 1.3 trillion catties.
Since the beginning of this year, extreme weather, rising prices of agricultural materials, and international turmoil have brought challenges to food production. All localities and departments have taken multiple measures to do a good job in food production.
Grasping a good job in agricultural production such as autumn harvest and autumn and winter planting is of great significance to ensure the completion of the annual target tasks.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs’ dispatch of agricultural conditions on November 15 showed that 1.265 billion mu of autumn grain had been harvested nationwide, 96.8% of which had been harvested, 96.6% of winter wheat had been sown, and 98.4% of winter rape had been sown.
Grain production pays more attention to quality and efficiency. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has focused on promoting late harvesting of corn and late sowing of wheat, prolonging the time of corn filling, increasing grain weight, and promoting wheat seedlings to survive winter safely. High-yield technology models are promoted in various places, such as the promotion of seed coating and wide-width precision sowing technology in Shandong; the promotion of water-saving varieties and integrated water and fertilizer technology in Hebei; greener.
To do a good job in the production of winter rapeseed, it is related to the “oil bottle” filling more Chinese oil. my country has increased the support for the expansion of winter rapeseed through projects such as incentives for major oil-producing counties and socialized services to mobilize the enthusiasm of farmers.
Cui Jianghao, director of the Technology Promotion Division of the Science and Technology Education Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, introduced that the Science and Technology Education Department has formulated a research and development and promotion plan for ratooned rice and early-maturing rapeseed, taking advantage of the advantages of scientific research and promotion units such as the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the National Agricultural Technology Promotion Center. New progress has been made in the excavation and utilization of germplasm resources with short growth periods, which is expected to produce a batch of new early-maturing rapeseed varieties, and at the same time further improve the level of mechanized research and development, promotion and application of rapeseed.
In order to ensure national food security, stable production and supply of important agricultural products, and promote the construction of a strong agricultural country, the central government recently issued an agricultural-related transfer payment of 211.5 billion yuan in advance in 2023. The northern region will strengthen field management of grain and other crops, and the southern provinces will promote the construction of high-standard farmland and agricultural mechanization in hilly and mountainous areas, increase efforts to explore and promote multi-season and multi-grain production methods, and accelerate the development of high-quality and efficient agriculture.
Energy supply and demand are generally stable
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, from January to October, my country produced 3.69 billion tons of raw coal, a year-on-year increase of 10%; crude oil was 170.98 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 3%; natural gas was 178.5 billion cubic meters, a year-on-year increase of 6%.
According to Dong Wancheng, deputy director of the Development Planning Department of the National Energy Administration, my country’s energy supply and demand remained generally stable in the first three quarters.
Since the beginning of this year, the crisis in Ukraine has accelerated the adjustment of the global energy structure, and energy prices have continued to fluctuate at high levels. The energy industry conducts timely research and judgment and plans in advance to effectively respond to fluctuations in the energy market.
“At present, the average price of pipeline gas supplied by major gas supply companies is mostly 2 to 3 yuan per cubic meter, and the price of some peak incremental gas sources is also controlled at 4 to 5 yuan per cubic meter, which is far lower than the international market price.” Dong Wancheng said that at the same time, the supervision of the performance of medium- and long-term power coal contracts will be strengthened to ensure that the medium- and long-term transaction prices of coal operate within a reasonable range.
In the first three quarters, a number of major energy projects received frequent reports.
Construction of the fourth line of the West-to-East Gas Pipeline Project has started. After completion, it will be jointly operated with the second and third lines of the West-to-East Gas Pipeline. By then, the annual transmission capacity of the West-East Gas Pipeline System will reach 100 billion cubic meters, which will further improve my country’s Northwest Energy Strategic Channel.
The pace of deep sea exploration has gone one step further. CNOOC made a major breakthrough in the exploration of the Qiongdongnan Basin in the southeastern part of Hainan, and discovered my country’s first deep-water deep gas field with proven geological reserves exceeding 50 billion cubic meters.
At the end of September, the first UHV AC project in Southwest China, the State Grid Sichuan-Chongqing 1,000-kilovolt UHV AC project, started construction. After completion, it can deliver more than 35 billion kWh of clean electricity per year. The substation with the largest capacity in the Yangtze River Delta, located in Changshu, Jiangsu, has recently completed an upgrade. This is an important hub substation for the “West-to-East Electricity Transmission”, and it has undertaken the implementation of nearly 4 million kilowatts of clean hydropower from the Baihetan project into Jiangsu.
Adequate coal and gas for winter peak season
The northern part of my country has now entered the heating season. In order to ensure energy supply during the peak winter, 13 mines and 11 coal preparation plants affiliated to China Energy Group Shendong Coal are operating at full capacity, strictly implementing antifreeze measures, and increasing supervision of 21 loading stations.
At present, coal storage in power plants has increased significantly. Since September, coal storage in power plants nationwide has remained at more than 170 million tons. The supply of thermal coal continues to improve, effectively ensuring the demand for coal for power generation and heating.
“In the first three quarters, a total of 14 coal mine projects were approved, and the new production capacity was more than 62 million tons per year, and the coal mine production capacity of about 90 million tons per year was promoted to enter the joint trial operation, which further consolidated the production capacity foundation for increasing coal production and ensuring supply.” National Liu Tao, deputy director of the coal department of the Energy Bureau, said that coal prices remained stable in general. In October, the annual long-term agreement price of 5,500 kcal thermal coal in Qinhuangdao was 719 yuan/ton, a decrease of 6 yuan/ton from the beginning of the year, and 51 yuan/ton lower than the maximum price limit of the long-term agreement of 770 yuan/ton, stabilizing the basic market for thermal coal supply .
Starting from November 16, the National Pipeline Network Group has started the “guaranteed supply mode” of natural gas this winter and next spring with a daily gas transmission capacity of more than 600 million cubic meters.
At the end of October, Wen 23 gas storage, the largest natural gas underground gas storage in the central and eastern regions of my country, completed its annual gas injection task. Before winter, the gas storage tanks connected to the national pipeline network overfulfilled the gas injection task, and the cumulative gas injection exceeded 16 billion cubic meters, which strengthened the “confidence” to improve the peak-shaving support capacity of the pipeline network.
(Dai Xiaohe, Yu Wenjing)
[Responsible editor: Xu Dan]