Self sufficiency 'basically achieved' in grain seeds

China's grain output has exceeded 650 million metric tons for six consecutive years and the country has basically achieved self-sufficiency in terms of grain seeds, political adviser Wan Jianmin said during an interview before the opening of the fourth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on Thursday.

"We have enough food to eat and can buy rice and wheat flour whenever we want," said Wan, who is also the vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

He added that 96 percent of plantations in the country are using domestically cultivated crop varieties, and some of the rice varieties have already reached the same standards found in other rice producing nations such as Japan and Thailand.

But there are still shortfalls still in some varieties and in market regulation, which should be enhanced with targeted policies and technologies to further ensure food security and help people eat well, Wan said.

"The country's demand for soybeans and corn keep increasing while the yields are lower than in other top crop producing nations," he said.

China will strengthen its efforts in protecting its germplasm resources by building seed banks, developing innovative technologies, cultivating major enterprises and protecting intellectual properties in the seed industry, he said.

A new seed bank preserving 1.5 million items of germplasm resources, the largest in the world, is expected be put into operation this year, Wan said.