Agriculture

Hunan lies between 25' - 30 ' N. It has a humid continental and subtropical monsoon climate. Its annual average temperature lies between 16 C- 18 C, and the annual average precipitation is between 1,200 and 1,800 mm. With sufficient sunshine, plentiful rain, distinct seasons and long frost-free periods, Hunan has incredibly favorable conditions for agricultural production. 

According to the annual Statistical Communiqué on the National Economic and Social Development of Hunan Province, in 2025, the total output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery reached 881.41 billion yuan, up by 4.4 percent over the previous year. The sown area of grain crops was 4,774.3 thousand hectares, an increase of 0.9 thousand hectares, up by 0.02 percent. Of this total, the sown area of summer grains was 115.0 thousand hectares, an increase of 1.1 thousand hectares, up by 1.0 percent; the sown area of early rice was 1,208.8 thousand hectares, a decrease of 2.1 thousand hectares, down by 0.2 percent; and the sown area of autumn grains was 3,450.5 thousand hectares, an increase of 1.9 thousand hectares, up by 0.1 percent. Within the autumn grain category, the sown area of mid-season rice and single-season late rice was 1,468.8 thousand hectares, a decrease of 10.3 thousand hectares, down by 0.7 percent; the sown area of double-cropping late rice was 1,276.7 thousand hectares, an increase of 6.8 thousand hectares, up by 0.5 percent. The total output of grain in 2025 was 31.045 million tons, an increase of 0.264 million tons, up by 0.9 percent. Of this total, the output of summer grain was 0.467 million tons, an increase of 0.008 million tons, up by 1.8 percent; that of early rice was 7.462 million tons, an increase of 0.132 million tons, up by 1.8 percent; and that of autumn grain was 23.117 million tons, an increase of 0.123 million tons, up by 0.5 percent.

The total sown area of cotton was 60.67 thousand hectares, down by 0.1 percent over the previous year; the sown area of sugar crops was 7.69 thousand hectares, up by 1.2 percent; and the sown area of oil-bearing crops was 1,643.10 thousand hectares, up by 0.1 percent. The output of cotton in 2025 was 85,000 tons, up by 0.9 percent; that of oil-bearing crops was 3.187 million tons, up by 5.5 percent; that of flue-cured tobacco was 200,000 tons, down by 2.9 percent; and that of tea was 302,000 tons, up by 5.3 percent.

The total output of pork, beef, mutton, and poultry was 5.931 million tons, up by 3.5 percent over the previous year. Of this total, the output of pork was 4.745 million tons, up by 4.2 percent; that of beef was 0.190 million tons, down by 10.8 percent; that of mutton was 0.123 million tons, down by 15.8 percent; and that of poultry was 0.873 million tons, up by 6.3 percent. At the end of 2025, the stock of pigs stood at 35.576 million, down by 2.6 percent compared with that at the end of 2024. Of this total, the stock of breeding sows was 3.236 million, down by 2.9 percent. The stock of cattle was 2.701 million, down by 15.2 percent; that of sheep was 5.651 million, down by 13.4 percent; and that of poultry was 346.291 million, up by 0.7 percent. In 2025, 61.273 million pigs were slaughtered, up by 1.9 percent over the previous year; 1.430 million cattle were slaughtered, down by 17.7 percent; 7.252 million sheep were slaughtered, down by 16.5 percent; and 604.263 million poultry were slaughtered, up by 6.1 percent. The total output of eggs reached 1.435 million tons, up by 14.6 percent; the output of milk was 90,000 tons, up by 5.9 percent; and the output of aquatic products was 3.135 million tons, up by 4.8 percent.

In 2025, 3.863 million mu of high-standard farmland were constructed, including 2.037 million mu of newly developed farmland and 1.826 million mu upgraded for quality improvement. A total investment of 64.09 billion yuan was made in various water conservancy projects. At the end of 2025, the total agricultural machinery power reached 70.028 million kilowatts, up by 1.0 percent compared with the end of the previous year.

Chinese source: Hunan Provincial Bureau of Statistics