Raising corn output is food for thought

Soybean imports have increased drastically in recent years to make up for the shortfall in domestic production and meet the ever-growing demand of the domestic market.

It is problems like these that the proposed national grain safety policy is expected to solve. Based on self-reliant grain production and moderate imports, the policy was outlined at the Central Economic Work Conference in mid-December, an annual tone-setter for next year's economic development, and the Central Rural Work Conference in late December.

China has always been committed to ensuring basic grain self-sufficiency by using domestic resources. But going by the policy, the country needs to become self-sufficient in corn, together with rice and wheat, and prevent the domestic corn market from going the soybean way. And increasing production remains the best way of becoming self-sufficient in corn.