China steps up measures to ensure grain safety
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China is enacting various measures, such as increasing its annual grain harvest and creating new grain safety legislation, to ensure a food-secure society, according to an official of the country's top economic planning body.
Zhang Ping, minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said in his report to China's top legislature on Thursday that China would increase its grain output capacity to an annual yield of 550 million tonnes by 2020, which would be a rise in output from 530.8 million tonnes in 2009.
Zhang said the country would further strengthen its grain production capacity, by means such as improving infrastructure construction, especially the farmland irrigation system, expanding the use of fine breed and high-productivity technology, improve farming methods and upgrading the farming industry's ability to resist disasters.
China's total grain demand is expected to reach 572.5 million tonnes by 2020, and to maintain a food self-sufficiency rate of 95 percent, at least 540 million tonnes of grain would be needed by then, Zhang said.
Zhang added that the NDRC and other food administrative agencies were working together in a draft law on food and grain.
According to Zhang, China has established a preliminary emergency response system for grain safety, strengthening the production, storage, transportation and distribution of food and grain during emergency situations.
