China's grain imports unlikely to surge

BEIJING - China's Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu said Thursday that the country will make "appropriate" use of the global grain market but its grain imports are unlikely to surge.

China will rely on domestic production for solutions to grain security, Han told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature.

Grain output in China rose 2.1 percent year on year to 601.94 million tonnes in 2013, marking the 10th consecutive year of growth. Han said he is confident that the trend will continue.

The confidence is backed with policy, technology and infrastructure, he explained.

China's grain imports have increased over the past years, but the total number is not significant, Han said. Last year, the country imported 13 million tonnes of grain, taking up only 2.4 percent of domestic grain consumption.

"The bowls of the Chinese will be filled mainly with the Chinese grain," he said.