BEIJING - China will see a bumper harvest of grain this year, with grain output expected to jump to a record high of more than 550 million metric tons, Vice Minister of Agriculture Chen Xiaohua said Thursday.

The strong harvest will mark eight consecutive years of growth for China's grain output.

The sound development of the agricultural industry has supported China's efforts to manage inflationary expectations, improve livelihoods and maintain steady economic growth, Chen said at a press conference.

Last year, China's grain output rose 2.9 percent year-on-year to reach 546.61 million metric tons, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.