BEIJING, CHINA — China’s soybean production in 2022 increased by 24%, Reuters reported on Dec. 12, citing official data from the Chinese government.

The increase comes as China has emphasized increasing its soybean output so it can be less reliant on imports from the United States and Brazil.

China estimates its 2022 soybean crop at 20.7 million tonnes after the country’s planted oilseed acreage rose by 22%. It would be the first time China has produced more than 20 million tonnes of soybeans.

The government data reported by Reuters also showed small increases in China’s corn and wheat crops, with corn output rising nearly 2% to 277.2 million tonnes, and wheat up 0.6%.