Hui, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the call during his inspection tour of east China's Shandong Province, a major main grain producer of the country.

    More substantial efforts were required to further improve China's food grain production and increase the income of farmers, said Hui.

    Summer grain crops play a vital role in a year's cereals production in China. In its northern part, where winter wheat, sown in the previous autumn and harvested in early summer, pays a decisive role in a year's cereal yield. And in the south, where rice is the staple food, summer grain crops reaped in during June usually plays a major significant role in stabilizing grain pricesoften driven up by a short supply of stored grain in April and Maydue to seasonal reasons.

    According to the Ministry of Agriculture, China turned out 469.5 billion kg of grain last year, an increase of 38.8 billion kg over the previous year.

    This year, total acreage sown to cereals crops was 667,000 hectares more than last year, according to ministry officials. Butthe figure for how much more grain would be produced this year is still not available at present.

    Although grain production will show growth over last year, Hui said, there remains a gap between the production and the demand. He urged local governments to take the summer harvest as their main task of the time and step up their efforts for regulating thegrain market.

    More investment should be input to develop agricultural production through the application of science and technology, saidthe vice premier.

    Hui also urged local government and relevant departments to build and improve irrigation facilities and make better preparations for the ensuing farming and sowing.