Chinese agricultural firms to ensure grain security through upgrading

BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- China's centrally administered state-owned agricultural enterprises have vowed to ensure grain security through innovation and industry-chain integration.

China's growing consumption of oil, sugar, meat, eggs and milk has boosted demand for feed ingredients and oil crops, said Luan Richeng, president of COFCO Corporation. Over the past two decades, China's corn and soybean consumption both expanded markedly.

To increase the supply of feed and reduce dependence on imports, COFCO said it will develop eco-friendly feed ingredients including plant protein, cell-based protein, microbial protein and insect protein.

Sinochem Holdings, COFCO and China National Machinery Industry Corporation Ltd. have formed a coalition to promote the industry-chain development of cash crops and develop intelligent agricultural machinery.

China has pledged the implementation of a "Greater Food" approach to food security, which entails focusing on the entire natural ecosystem and adopting a comprehensive approach for food production, with the utilization of various resources including land and sea.