China's exports of farm produce this year are expected to hit record US$26.5 billion, up 65.6 percent from five years ago, the Ministry of Commerce announced on Wednesday.

In the first 11 months of this year, the export of farm produce totaled US$24.37 billion, up 19.3 percent year on year, with the trade deficit in farm products shrinking 71.6 percent to US$1.53 billion, figures from the ministry show.

China's export of horticultural products jumped 24 percent to US$5.78 billion in the first 10 months this year. Its export of garlic, orange, canned ketchup and apple juice soared 42percent, 44 percent, 61 percent and 53 percent, respectively, year on year.

China exported 7.58 million tons of corn in the first 10 months, up 2.9 times. The export of grain, which declined 77 percent in the same period last year, jumped 121 percent from January to October this year.

In the first 10 months, China's farm produce export to the European Union, the Republic of Korea, the Middle East, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Latin America grew 40 percent, 41 percent, 40 percent, 45 percent and 42 percent year on year.

Eastern China's Shandong Province ranked first among all Chinese provincial areas in terms of farm produce export with an export value of US$5.5 billion.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2005)