BEIJING, June 20 (Reuters) - China will spend almost twiceas much this year on subsidies to encourage farmers in thenortheast to reduce corn plantings as it intensifies its push torebalance grain stocks.

The country will issue 2.56 billion yuan ($374.95 million)in funds to pay farmers subsidies to rotate their corn plantingswith other crops every other year as well as to leave some landfallow, the Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday.

The funds are 78 percent higher than last year, and theacreage targeted by the subsidies is double last year’s area ataround 800,000 hectares.