Increasing harvest, curbing wastage a must for food security

Despite a sharp rise in the prices of grain in the international market, the prices have remained generally stable in China's domestic market. Prices of corn have seen a slight increase, but also remained relatively stable. Prices of homegrown soybean have been high though.

Thanks to successive good harvests, China's grain output last year reached a record high of 683 billion kilograms, laying a solid foundation for food security and price stability.

Also, because of orderly and effective market management and regulation, China's domestic food market has not been hit by speculations triggered by price hikes in the international grain market.

China has also better grasped the changed scenario in the international grain market and adjusted its grain imports accordingly. It imported 165 million tons of grain last year, of which more than 36 million tons were imported in the fourth quarter, effectively guaranteeing its market supply for this year.

However, China still cannot afford to relax and is working relentlessly to ensure its food security, which is the key to its economy developing, its society remaining stable, and the general public being free of panic.

The best way for China to ensure food security now is by increasing food production, boosting grain output and improving the efficiency of food use. China has registered record grain harvests for 18 consecutive years. However, it still needs to increase grain production, encourage farmers to produce grain, and ensure that there are no problems in supply.

The country should take strong measures to protect arable land and strictly honor its redline of retaining 120 million hectares of arable land. China must continue with technological innovation to ensure successively good harvests. Grain wastage, too, needs to be curbed, given that it is an outstanding problem in China.

In fact, saving food and reducing grain wastage are more important than increasing food output under the present circumstances.