Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu on Thursday supported higher
investment in farm infrastructure as part of an effort to raise
grain output and farmers' incomes.
China's grain output has risen for four consecutive years, Hui
told local officials during a televised conference.
He urged local authorities to encourage investment from multiple
sources to renovate reservoirs, build irrigation facilities and
fund projects that provide safe drinking water for farmers.
"The agricultural sector needs more infrastructure to offset the
impact of increasingly frequent extreme weather caused by global
climate change," he said.
The vice premier also ordered stepped-up efforts to control
animal diseases and reduce forest fires this winter and next
spring.
(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2007)