China proposes 8 tasks to ensure food security

BEIJING - China has proposed eight tasks to ensure national food security, including strengthening the country's food security system and capacity-building, increasing support for agricultural protection, and accelerating the construction of a modern food industry and circulation system, according to a recent report from the State Council.

The report on work to ensure national food security was submitted to the fifth session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, for deliberation on Monday.

The report said that efforts would be made to implement a strategy of sustainable farmland use and the innovative application of agricultural technology to increase farmland productivity.

In recent years, China's food production has been expanding steadily, with adequate market supply and generally stable operations. The country's ability to prevent and defuse major risks and challenges has been improving, and its level of food security has been raised significantly, according to the report.

China's annual grain output has topped 650 billion kg for eight consecutive years. Last year, the country's total grain output was 686.55 billion kg, and its per capita food supply was 486.1 kg, which was well above the internationally recognized food security line of 400 kg, according to the report.