China has recently enjoyed a run of good harvests, resulting in adequate grain supplies and reserves, and a stable grain market—all indicators of growing food security, according to deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Looking to the future, China has the conditions, capabilities and confidence to enhance food security through its own efforts, said the deputies and members.

During the pneumonia outbreak, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture allocated a special fund of 80 million yuan to ensure stable production in key enterprises related to grain, oil and meat, putting 57,000 tons of grain and 4,200 tons of edible oil in reserves to guarantee supply, according to Luo Qiang, deputy to the NPC and governor of the autonomous prefecture.

This move echoes the spirit of the 2020 government report, which underscored the system of provincial governors taking responsibility for the “rice bag” (grain supply) program and city mayors taking responsibility for the “vegetable basket” (non-grain food supply) program.

To keep total crop acreage and grain output stable, as pointed out in the government work report, east China's Shandong province intends to strengthen the assessment of food stability and make sure that total crop acreage and grain output in 2020 are no less than that of the previous year, said Li Xixin, deputy to the NPC as well as head of the Shandong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Shandong province aims to plant 125.5 million mu (over 83,600 square kilometers) of grain this year, up by 0.8 million mu from 2019.

In terms of preventing and controlling major diseases and pests, Shandong province has always issued emergency notices in response to extreme weather and will also provide stronger post-disaster technical guidance and facilitate claim settlements from insurance institutions in a timely manner.

Li Yuncai, a member of the National Committee of the CPPCC, agreed with the report on increasing the minimum purchase price of rice and giving greater rewards to major grain-producing counties.

Li also suggested expanding the planting of double-season rice and oil crops and feed crops such as soybeans and corn to meet domestic demand and prepare for the uncertainties in the international market.

To integrate technologies into agriculture, Yancheng, east China's Jiangsu province, has actively employed "Internet plus" platforms to provide information for farmers, according to Qin Guangwei, deputy to the NPC and deputy director of the Yancheng Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Through online platforms such as WeChat Group and QQ Group, the city has provided farmers with consultation, e-commerce and other services on over 2,300 occasions and launched 843 remote technical guidance sessions since spring.