China expands high-standard farmland to ensure grain security

BEIJING -- The area of China's high-standard farmland will total 1 billion mu (about 66.7 million hectares) by 2022 to supply 80 percent of the country's total grain output, authorities said Monday.

Cultivating high-standard farmland can strengthen farmland against disasters and increase grain production, which is the key to ensuring food security, said Yu Xinrong, vice-minister of agriculture and rural affairs, at a press conference.

High-standard farmland is estimated to increase grain production capacity by 10 percent to 20 percent, with average output per mu increased by 100 kg.

China has allocated 61.6 billion yuan (about $8.8 billion) of subsidies for high-standard farmland and water conservation projects in 2020, according to the Ministry of Finance.