February 14, 2012

China faces pressure on food stability

China still faces bigger rising pressures in maintaining food security despite a steady growing grain harvest, a senior official said on February 11.

With rapid industrialisation and urbanisation, which have improved people's living standards, the country's food consumption level and structure have changed, posing increasing pressures on grain production, said Li Jiayang, vice minister of agriculture.

Globally, the grain output also grew at a slower pace than that in population, Li said at a forum held in Haikou, capital of island province of Hainan.

The world's grain output rose at an annualised rate of 1.16% in the last 25 years, compared to 1.46% in population growth, Li said.

But the country's food security situation has been improved, Li said, noting that the grain output has increased fourfold since 1949, though planting areas almost stayed unchanged.

China's grain output rose 4.5% on-year to a record high of 571.21 million tonnes in 2011, marking eight consecutive years of growth.