Invoking the spirit of the ox for food security

The sowing season has started across the country with spring setting in. China's grain production increased for the 17th consecutive year in 2020 to 650 billion kilograms. Good harvests have played a major role in the country's overall social development and that would not have been possible without the farmers toiling in the fields year after year.

Food security lays the foundation for national security. Although China has ample supply of grains and key agricultural products, it is still under pressure to further raise production to better safeguard food security. Under the circumstances, we cannot assume that we are free from grain problems.

For a long time to come, given the uncertain global environment, the supply and demand of agricultural products will be on a tight leash. It is therefore necessary to stabilize agricultural production.

Spring is the season of hope. In its No 1 central document this year, the central leadership has set a clear target for minimum area of cultivable land "with total production exceeding 650 billion kilos". The most important way of better safeguarding food security is to ensure the size of cultivable land does not fall below the red line of 1.8 billion mu (120 million hectares), which requires local governments to take firm steps to prevent cultivable land from being used for other purposes.

The other important way to raise agricultural production is to reduce reliance on foreign countries. According to the Chinese zodiac sign, this is the Year of the Ox, which symbolizes hardwork, a traditional virtue of the Chinese people. Here's hoping the whole nation channelizes its hardworking spirit to ensure food security.

People's Daily