President Hu Jintao urged the country's central areas to step up economic development, encouraging people there to achieve rapid progress in scientific and practical ways.

He was speaking during a visit to Central China's Hunan Province, a trip that began on October 1 and ended on Saturday.

Deepening reforms can provide a continuous impetus to push forward economic and social progress more rapidly and comprehensively, Hu said.

The president also stressed the need to improve local farmers' living conditions as well as agricultural and rural development.

He said that local authorities should devote more energy to promoting strategic readjustment in agricultural organization, implementing various reforms in villages, increasing investment in rural infrastructure and opening up new job opportunities for surplus rural labour.

During Hu's inspection in Hunan, he visited the national hybrid-rice research centre headed by Yuan Longping, a celebrated professor dubbed the "father of hybrid rice'' and also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Praising expert contributions to research into new varieties of hybrid rice, Hu said grain is crucial to the country's economic security and the population's survival.

He urged the country's central areas to further protect farmland and enhance the capacity of agricultural production, especially grain output.

"We should rely on scientific technology to increase the grain yield. Moreover, our policies should be improved to encourage farmers to be productive, which will help ensure food security,'' Hu added.

Hu learned about local people's living standards and the services provided by civil servants when visiting farms, workshops, community shops and job centres.

He said government officials at various levels should base their work on the realization, protection and development of the people's fundamental interests. They should work strenuously and crack down on any corruption, greed, hedonism and selfishness.

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