A farmer stands on a tractor loaded with corn stalks at a private plantation near Suibin state farm, Heilongjiang province October 16, 2012. China's farmers are using higher-yielding seeds and embracing modern technology in a shift that makes it less likely China will be a long-term major corn importer. Record Chinese imports of 5.5 million tonnes in 2011-12 helped drive up benchmark Chicago corn prices to $8 a bushel earlier this year - more than double the average of the past decade - and raised the prospect of the world's second-biggest consumer becoming dependent on big overseas purchases. Picture taken October 16, 2012. REUTERS/David Stanway (CHINA - Tags: AGRICULTURE BUSINESS POLITICS)