(Yicai Global) Feb. 12 -- Hubei, the Chinese province at the center of the coronavirus epidemic, has over 10 million tons of grain reserves, enough to feed its 60 million people for more than half a year, online news outlet The Paper reported today.

Sinograin's Hubei unit has 2.65 million tons of wheat and 7.35 million tons of rice in stock, according to the state-owned agricultural stockpiler, also known as China Grain Reserves Group. Based on rations of 1 kilogram of grain per person a day, that is enough to support the province's 60 million inhabitants for more than half a year.

Taking into account other grains held in reserve, Hubei has adequate supplies to feed its people for over a year, the report said. These reserves are ready to be distributed to the market at any moment.

Beijing-based Sinograin has also supplied 8,135 tons of soybean meal to the province in response to an appeal from the Hubei Poultry Association. There has been a shortage of chicken feed due to the increased number of roadblocks trying to prevent the spread of the epidemic. Hubei is the sixth-biggest egg producer in China. It needs 3,000 tons of feed a day, more than half of which is soybean meal. 

Six silos run by Sinograin Oils, a unit of Sinograin that makes edible oil products, can produce nearly 30,000 tons of soybeans, 20,000 tons of soybean meal and 600 tons of small and medium packages of soybeans every day. In the week since the silos resumed production after the extended Chinese New Year break, they have processed 111,000 tons of soybean meal and 5,433 tons of edible oil.

Output continues to increase, ensuring the nation is well stocked.

Editor: Kim Taylor