Chinese senior leaders stress agricultural work

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for increasing efforts to ensure grain output as the country has entered the season of spring farming.

In a written instruction to a State Council work conference on Tuesday, Li asked local authorities to step up policy support, secure supplies of agricultural materials and stabilize prices.

In face of the complicated economic landscape, ensuring the sustainable development of agriculture and securing supplies of grain and major agricultural produce are of great importance in stabilizing economic growth and inflation, Li noted.

At the meeting, vice premier Wang Yang stressed the importance of policy incentives in encouraging farmers to produce more grain.

He asked local authorities to fully implement central government policies to support production, as well as offer public services, such as technological training, to help farmers increase their yields.

To ease financing difficulties for farmers, Wang urged local authorities to enhance credit support.

Rural issues have been a major focal point for government policies since 2003. Grain security and supplies of major farm produce have been prioritized by the government this year.

China's grain output rose 3.2 percent year on year to hit a record high of 590 million tonnes in 2012, marking the ninth consecutive year of growth.