Following recent grain price increases Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited a market in Beijing on
Tuesday to inspect grain supplies.
Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics show that China's
grain prices increased by 4.7 percent year on year in November.
This is one percent higher than October's rise. .
The hike indicates the normal recovery of farm produce prices
after a decline in recent years which is good news for farmers, Wen
told a group of representatives from the Sanyili residential area
in Xuanwu District after visiting a local supermarket named
Huaqiang.
The prices, however, must maintain a reasonable level and grain
supply must be ensured, Wen said. He stressed that consumers'
interests should be protected while tighter measures taken to
prevent speculators' from storing goods and jacking up prices.
The premier also called for special care for families with
subsistence difficulties. "It's the duty of governments and
officials at all levels to help people with living under strain,"
Wen said. He urged officials to visit such families and help solve
their problems.
The premier assured the residents of their grain supply and
cited an expected grain output of at least 490 billion kilograms
this year. The country had seen good harvests for three consecutive
years due to government policies which boost agriculture, Wen
explained. China's grain output was 484 billion kilograms last
year.
Wen also visited some low-income families.
(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2006)
