China's grain sown area will stay stable this year, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced in Beijing on Sunday.

According to a recent survey, the per-household grain sown area of the 16,870 farmer households surveyed averaged 9.52 mu (0.63 hectares), which is on a par with that of last year.

The NDRC attributed the stabilization to farmers' willingness to grow grain due to higher grain prices and the government's support policies, such as the abolishment of the decade-old agriculture taxes and subsidies for grain growing.

The survey showed more cotton, vegetables and sugar crops will be planted this year while the sown areas of tobacco and oil crops are likely to dip.

China's grain output exceeded 490 billion kilograms last year, posting a positive growth for the third consecutive year.

(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2007)