2nd International Wheat Congress kicks off in Beijing

China has seen a summer grain harvest. The country feeds one fifth of the world population with nine percent of land resources, greatly contributing to global food security, he said.

Qu Dongyu, director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, said there have been direct impacts on the global wheat and cereal markets, and production, with international wheat prices reaching near record levels in recent months.

FAO's forecast for world wheat production is shown one percent lower year on year. Global maize output is also forecast to fall below last year's level, at 1.2 percent lower.

"We need to conserve and utilize wheat germplasm to breed superior varieties that are adapted to local production systems, environments and markets, and to make all new varieties accessible to farmers and food processors," Qu said.

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of wheat, with a planting area of 24 million hectares and an annual wheat output exceeding 130 million tons.