MOA spokesman on food production
DATE:2014-12-08 SOURCE:Information Office, MOA
MOA Chief Economist and Spokesman Bi Meijia briefed journalists on China's food production in 2014 at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) on Dec. 5, 2014.
After giving a brief introduction of the grain output and latest rural development in China, Bi took questions ranging from this year's bumper harvest, food security, grain import to farmland protection.
According to the spokesman, despite of natural disasters in some areas, China has reaped another bumper harvest. Its grain output hits 607 million tones in 2014, up by 5.15 million tones or 0.9% from 2013, representing a growth for eleven years in a row. The harvest is mainly due to expanded growing acreage and remarkable growth of yield in non-disaster areas.
Regarding the increase of grain import in the context of domestic output increase, Bi Meijia clarified that the imported volume of rice, wheat and corn - three major types of grain - accounts for only 2.4% of the domestic total. He attributed the increase in import to lower international prices and diversified consumer's demand. "In the future, we might still need to import some kinds of grain that China is short of, but imports will not rise significantly."
Talking about food security, Bi reaffirmed China's confidence in its food security strategy, saying that "the bowls of the Chinese will be filled mainly with the grain produced in China.' Meanwhile, China has to take into account farmer's interests, including their job and income.
As for the relationship between sustainable development and food security, Bi noted that MOA is preparing a comprehensive scheme for ensuring food security by adopting sustainable, environment-friendly and innovative practices. Bi also stressed that non-agricultural utilization of farmland under the guise of land transfer shall not be tolerated.
When answering question related with farmland protection, Mr. Zeng Yande, Director-General of MOA Department of Crop Production, emphasized that farmland is fundamental for food production. China's farmland must be maintained above the minimum threshold of 120 million hectares. He also pointed out that the quality of farmland shall be improved, and efforts shall be made to improve soil fertility, reduce pesticide and fertilizer application and enhance pollution control. To better protect farmland, MOA and the Ministry of Land and Resources have accelerated the work to establish permanent basic farmland nationwide.