China's food security will be firmly guaranteed during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), even as global grain markets grow more volatile with geopolitical conflicts and extreme weather disrupting grain production and trade worldwide, an official from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said at a press conference in Beijing on Friday.
Kou Rong, deputy director-general of the NDRC's Department of Trade, said China has secured bumper grain harvests for consecutive years, achieving basic self-sufficiency in grains and absolute security in staple foods, with per capita grain availability exceeding 500 kilograms, well above the global average and the internationally recognized safety line.
Kou said after years of development, China's grain reserve system has become more complete, with sounder mechanisms, an improving structure and a more rational layout. The country's overall grain stock-to-consumption ratio is far above the international food security warning line of 17 to 18 percent. Reserves of processed grain and edible oil in the urban areas of 36 large and medium-sized cities can meet more than 15 days of demand.
"Standard grain warehouses across the country, all in good condition, have a storage capacity of 730 million tonnes, and more than 250 million tonnes of that can be stored at low or quasi-low temperatures. That is like putting the grain into a big refrigerator, which keeps it fresh and cuts losses. With grain in hand, there is no panic in the heart. Our ample grain reserves are the bedrock of China's food security," Kou said.
Kou said China has about 24,000 grain processing companies of various types, with annual industrial output value exceeding four trillion yuan (about 598 billion U.S. dollars). Their capacity to process flour, rice and edible oil is ample, and finished grain and oil products can be put on the market at any time, fully meeting daily consumption needs.
The country also has more than 7,000 emergency grain processing companies at various levels, with a daily emergency processing capacity of over 1.8 million tonnes of grain and oil. They can turn raw grain into rice, flour and cooking oil on store shelves at a moment's notice.
"We will further improve the fertilizer reserve system and ensure stable fertilizer supply and prices. We will build stable and controllable overseas supply channels, import scarce high-quality varieties in moderation, and keep trade and production in step, so as to fully strengthen the country's capacity to safeguard food security," said Kou.
China’s food security to be firmly guaranteed during 15th Five-Year Plan period: official
