Vice premier pushes grain base for food security

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang on Sunday pushed the national grain base to speed up sowing seeds after a spell of low temperature and waterlogging in spring in Heilongjiang Province.

The unfavorable natural conditions this spring delayed the sowing by seven to ten days in the northeastern province, which is a key base of China's grain production.

Wang asked to secure stable yield and enough food this year and help farmers increase income.

He also asked agricultural experts and technicians to help solve problems in sowing seeds, and mobilized agricultural cooperatives and farming enterprises to deploy more machines in the seasonal sowing.

Wang urged implementation of the comprehensive coordinated pilot reform for modernized farming in the province, exploration of new mechanism for modern agriculture, large-scale agricultural production and services, encouragement and guidance of transfer of land contract rights, coordinated management of agricultural funds, and innovation in financial and insurance services in rural areas.

Wang also urged to protect soil, underground water, forest and wet land for sustainable development in the province.