Chinese Premier Says Agriculture is Strong in His Country

By CnAgri2012-10-10 19:36:17 Print

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday pledged that China will seek the steady growth of agricultural products and enable Chinese farmers to share the achievements of the country's economic development and social progress. According to the PigSite, Wen was speaking at a ceremony where he was awarded the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s Agricola Medal by FAO's general director Jose Graziano da Silva at the Great Hall of the People.

"Thank Director Jose Graziano da Silva for conferring the medal on me. This is more than a personal honor to me. It represents the international community's full recognition of and high acclaim for what China has achieved in agriculture and rural development," Wen said.

China's grain output has been increasing for nine consecutive years, with this year's output about 150 million tonnes more than that of 2003, Wen said.

Wen attributed the achievements of China's agricultural and rural development to the rural reform, the top priority given to agriculture and the principle of "industry supporting agriculture and cities supporting rural areas."

The achievements would also be impossible without the government's commitment to safeguard farmers' rights, respect farmers' aspiration for better life, bring into play farmers' initiatives to boost production and build new rural areas, Wen said.

China will seek the steady growth of agricultural products and enable Chinese farmers to share the achievements of the country's economic development and social progress, Wen said.