Chinese premier stresses support for agricultural production

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stressed increasing support for agricultural production to ensure that annual grain output continues to exceed 1.3 trillion jin (650 billion kg) this year.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks in an instruction to a national work conference on Spring agricultural production held on Sunday in east China's Shandong Province.

Noting the current growth of wheat seedlings is weak, Li urged precautions against plant diseases, insect pests, and extreme weather to ensure another bumper summer harvest.

Efforts should be made to ramp up support for agriculture production, guarantee agricultural supplies, keep the prices of agriculture supplies stable, and ensure the Spring farming gets off to a good start, Li said.

Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended and addressed the conference, underscoring the importance of ensuring supplies of grain and farm produces to support the stable economic and social development.

Hu urged solid efforts to meet this year's agricultural targets in full, stabilize grain planting, expand the production of soybean and oil plants, and mitigate the impact of natural disasters.