Chinese premier stresses stabilizing grain production

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday underscored efforts to further stabilize grain production and ensure food security.

Chairing a State Council executive meeting, Li said that food security concerns national security and development and is a top priority for pushing forward the modernization of agriculture and rural areas.

The planting area of winter wheat has reported an increase for the first time over the past four years, Li said, envisioning a bumper summer harvest this year.

To further bolster grain production, the country should optimize supportive policies such as the minimum purchase price for rice and wheat and subsidizing maize and soybean production, the premier said. He called for wider farm insurance coverage and more work on preventing pests and disasters.

Li urged more efforts to safeguard crop purchases, improve crop storage facilities, and ramp up market regulation to stabilize grain supply and prices.

For improved farmland protection, the country should also create more high-quality farmland and prohibit the non-agricultural use of arable land, Li said.

The meeting also passed a draft revision of China's audit law, which aims to expand audit coverage and strengthen audit supervision.