BEIJING: China will raise its minimum purchase price for wheat and rice as appropriate in 2021, the country’s Premier Li Keqiang said in his annual work report on Friday at the opening of this year’s meeting of parliament.

Li also said in his report that China will expand the production of edible oilseeds this year, and that the country would ensure the security of animal and plant breeding resources in the five years to 2025. “We will carry out projects to develop high-quality farmland and conserve chernozem soils, and ensure the security of our germplasm resources,” said Li in the report.

Chernozem soil is highly fertile black-coloured soil that is widespread in China’s northeastern grain belt. In a policy document last month, China implored regions to boost grain yields in the next five years and promised to increase support for the domestic seed industry amid a greater focus on food security after the COVID-19 pandemic. Beijing, which has long prioritised food security for its population of 1.4 billion, has strengthened its focus on the issue since the pandemic hit major food exporting nations last year and raised concerns about the stability of its food supplies.