Vice Premier Hui Liangyu said the modernization of agriculture is a strategic element in the national campaign to build a new countryside.

Modern agriculture is a key means of securing stable food supplies and raising farmers' incomes, Hui said when inspecting agricultural setups in east China's Shandong Province.

"We should strive to expand agricultural production and sharpen the competitive edge of farm produce by modernizing traditional agricultural production," the vice premier said.

Hui visited several installations including modern farming pilot bases, hi-tech agricultural zones, leading enterprises and farm produce export bases, during his 6-day visit to Shandong Province.

He said the development of modern agriculture should keep abreast of the pace of the country's industrialization and urbanization drive. More efforts should be made to build a comprehensive agriculture support system.

Hui noted that as both harvest time and seedtime are drawing near, local governments should provide advice, promote practical farm technologies and stabilize the market price of grain.

(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2006)