China could see the fifth consecutive bumper harvest of summer grain for the first time since the founding of the People's Republic of China, said the Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday.

The total summer crop output for this year will definitely surpass the 115.34 billion kilograms for 2007, after 85 percent of the wheat has been harvested, according to the ministry.

The central Henan Province which produces more than a quarter of China's wheat has completed its harvest of 30.5 billion kilograms of wheat, 750 million kg more than last year.

The harvest in Shandong Province, which was earlier hampered by diesel shortages, is expected to reap 19.7 billion kg of wheat, a rise of 950 million kg from last year.

Wheat output in the central Anhui province will likely to jump 5.5 percent year on year.

Northern China remains the major area for grain harvest, and oil suppliers are making efforts to ensure power supply.

However, vice minister of agriculture Wei Chao'an warned on Tuesday of a severe invasion of pests this summer, aggravated by heavy rain.

Summer crops usually account for about 23 percent of the nation's annual grain output.

(Xinhua News Agency, June 18, 2008)