During the same period, the soybean acreage in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region also decreased by 17%, from 28 million mu in 2004 to 23 million mu in 2005. At the same time, soybean supplies stockpiled due to low prices. Many farmers who had planted and harvested soybeans with the expectation of increased income instead lost profits. For example, in the Hei longjiang province, which had the largest acreage and highest output of soybeans, the average sales price was only $0.271 per kilogram, which was lower than the farmer cost. Consequently, farmers in Heilongjiang collectively lost $419 million, had incentive to reduce output, and the number of unemployed soybean farmers soared to approximately 1.2 million.