HARBIN, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's major agricultural province of Heilongjiang has set aside 14.5 million hectares for crop planting this year while placing emphasis on expansion of soybean planting, according to sources associated with the on-going annual session of the Heilongjiang Provincial People's Congress.

As China's grain barn, the province saw its total 2022 grain output reach 77.63 billion kg, ranking first in the country for the 13th consecutive year.

In 2023, the province plans to continue boosting soybean planting, to develop 560,000 hectares of high-standard farmland, while also protecting and making good use of black soil resources.

Heilongjiang is home to China's largest soybean-producing area. Soybean production in the province reached 9.53 billion kg in 2022 -- accounting for 47 percent of the country's total -- with a year-on-year increase of 2.34 billion kg. The province has adopted advanced technology, in order to develop and grow generations of strong and sturdy soybean varieties.