BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- China made steady improvements in its agriculture and rural economy in 2024, Zhang Xingwang, vice minister of agriculture and rural affairs, told a State Council Information Office press conference on Monday.

In 2024, China's grain production reached a new level, farmers' incomes increased steadily, and rural society remained harmonious and stable, providing strong support for the high-quality development of the country's economy and society, Zhang said at the press conference.

China's total grain production exceeded 1.4 trillion jin (700 billion tonnes) for the first time last year, an increase of 22.18 billion jin from 2023, he said.

The operating revenues of large agricultural product processing enterprises nationwide are expected to have exceeded a total of 18 trillion yuan (2.5 trillion U.S. dollars), according to the vice minister.

By the end of 2024, 33.05 million people who have emerged from poverty were in employment, marking the fourth consecutive year that the figure has come in at above 30 million, he said.

The per capita disposable income of farmers in counties that have been lifted out of poverty reached 12,384 yuan in the first three quarters of 2024, registering real growth of 6.5 percent compared to the same period the previous year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The per capita disposable income of rural residents reached 23,119 yuan, a real increase of 6.3 percent year on year, Zhang said, citing NBS data.