Beijing seeks food security in the face of economic challenges and pressures from urbanisation
[BEIJING] China must stabilise grain and edible oil production, improve grain varieties and enhance quality, state news agency Xinhua said on Tuesday (Dec 30), following a meeting of the annual Central Rural Work Conference from Dec 29 to Dec 30.
The group, which sets China’s agricultural priorities, pledged to “enhance the capacity for diversified food supply” and “promote high-quality development of high-standard farmland through zoned and categorised planning,” Xinhua said.
China is highly reliant on imports to feed its people and tensions with the US, a major agricultural trading partner, have accelerated a domestic self-sufficiency drive that includes investments in machinery and seed technology.
“We must not relax our efforts in grain production, promote the integration of high-quality land, high-quality seeds, high-quality machinery and high-quality farming methods to enhance the overall agricultural production capacity and quality,” according to a readout of the meeting released by Xinhua.
The readout said China would “make every possible effort” to increase farmers’ income and promote stable employment for migrant workers, as Beijing seeks food security in the face of economic challenges and pressures from urbanisation.
The readout also said China would launch province-wide pilot programmes to extend rural land-use contracts for another 30 years after current contracts expire around 2027.
China’s total grain output hit a new record this year, up 1.2 per cent from 2024 to 714.9 million tons, according to statistics bureau data released earlier this month. REUTERS
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