China's agriculture is well-positioned to tackle El Niño：NDRC
Forecasts indicate that a super El Niño event could emerge this autumn and winter, potentially peaking by the end of the year, with its climate impacts extending into next summer and creating significant uncertainty for global food production. In response, Li Chao, spokesperson for the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said at a press conference on Tuesday that China is well prepared to cope with the potential impacts.
"China's agricultural production has the confidence, conditions and capability to cope with risks and challenges such as El Niño." Said Li Chao.
Li said China has developed more than 66.7 million hectares of high-standard farmland, while the area of irrigated farmland has surpassed 72.7 million hectares. Despite spring drought, high temperatures and drought conditions in summer, and persistent rainfall in autumn, China's grain output reached 715 million tons in 2025, up by nearly 8.4 million tons from the previous year.
"And preparations for this year's autumn and winter planting are being carried out in an orderly manner." Li said.
To closely monitor developments and respond to El Niño, the NDRC will focus on four key areas: strengthening disaster monitoring and early warning systems; reinforcing farmland and water conservancy infrastructure; advancing seed industry technology and ensuring a stable supply of high-quality varieties; and improving market regulation through reserves and minimum purchase price policies.