BEIJING, CHINA — Seeking to improve its food security, China plans to increase its corn acreage as the country has seen a decline in acreage, Reuters reported, citing Tang Renjian, the new Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The government is currently focusing on expanding corn acreage in the northeast and around the Yellow River, Huai River and Hai River.

The new push for increasing corn production comes after China depleted its corn reserves due to rising corn prices. Importers have been bringing in record amounts of corn to fill the demand.

China had been decreasing corn planting the past few years in an effort to reduce its stockpile and encourage production of other crops such as soybean, Reuters reported.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China planted 41.264 million hectares of corn in 2020 with an output of 260.67 million tonnes of grain.