Chinese premier emphasizes need to safeguard farm produce supply

BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang has urged continued efforts to stabilize the supply of grains and other key farm produce, thereby laying solid groundwork to achieve the country's annual output target.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in an instruction on spring agricultural production.

All localities and departments must continue to prioritize agriculture and rural development, shoulder their share of responsibilities in ensuring food security, and improve their capacity to ensure the stable production and supply of grains and other major agricultural products, Li said.

To boost rural revitalization, the country should improve its support systems to strengthen agriculture, benefit farmers and enrich rural areas, while continuing to consolidate and build on its achievements in poverty alleviation, Li said.

Emphasizing the importance of spring agricultural production, Li called for efforts to stabilize the grain and oil crop planting areas. Work should also be done to accelerate the use of advanced and applicable agricultural machinery and equipment, as well as the large-scale application of advances in agricultural science and technology, he added.

A national conference on spring agricultural production was held in the city of Suqian, East China's Jiangsu province, on Thursday.

Liu Guozhong, Chinese vice-premier and a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the conference, calling for solid preparations for spring plowing.

The country should work to improve its arable land quality by cultivating high-standard farmland, and encourage various entities to increase their per unit crop yields, Liu said during the conference.

Efforts must also be made to enhance the monitoring of and emergency response to natural disasters, and coordinate work related to the regulation of the grain market, support for beef and dairy cattle farming, and increasing farmers' incomes, Liu added.

Agriculture, rural areas and farmers remain top priorities for China's economic and social development. To feeding a population of over 1.4 billion, the country aims to achieve a grain output of around 700 million tonnes in 2025.