CPPCC members worry about grain production

cctv.com 03-11-2004 13:13

Farmers and the agricultural industry are receiving extra attention from the central government in this year's NPC and CPPCC annual sessions. Many proposals have been raised concerning agricultural issues.

The Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy delivered the proposal. Maintaining an adequate grain supply is its top concern. CPPCC member Cai Jiming, a professor of economics at Tsinghua University, is the leading scholar behind the proposal. He said China's grain production has been declining rapidly since 1996, mainly due to a decrease in arable land.

Prof. Cai Jiming said, "Since 1996 to 2002, the decrease is very dangerous." He said another major reason for the decline in grain production is because many farmers have given up farming and headed for cities to earn more money.

Experts say with China's increasing population and decreasing grain production, the country will need to find a solution soon. To minimize the potential for grain supplies to fall dangerously low, the proposal suggests stricter punishments when government plans for preserving arable land are not carried out.

The proposal also states farmland should not be wasted through urbanization.

At the same time, the country should establish an early warning system for dangerously low grain supplies. This will aid in manipulating the grain market.

The proposal also suggests giving more subsidies to farmers, with the aim of encouraging higher agricultural production. China must also continue to develop technologies to increase grain production.

Experts predict that by 2030, the population in China will reach 1.6 billion. Some CPPCC members worry that the world's most populous nation may not be able to feed itself if effective measures are not taken before it's too late.

Editor:Chen  Source:CCTV.com