China increased its grain imports this year, but thanks to consecutive years of bumper crops the country will continue to be able to largely feed itself, a senior agricultural official said on Tuesday.
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China's imports of its three main food staples - rice, wheat and corn - reached 10.09 million metric tons in the first 10 months of this year, an increase of 9.29 million tons compared with the same period last year, said Bi Meijia, chief economist of the Ministry of Agriculture. The total imports of the three main grain crops were 3.57 million tons in 2011.
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"China did ramp up its grain imports in recent years, mainly as a result of the increasing domestic need for grains for fodder and industrial use, and the rising demand for more grain varieties," he said at a news conference organized by the State Council Information Office.
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The strong surge in imports of the three staple crops has triggered widespread concern about the country's long-asserted goal of maintaining its food security by domestically supplying at least 95 percent of the grains that it consumes.
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China increased its grain imports this year, but thanks to consecutive years of bumper crops the country will continue to be able to largely feed itself, a senior agricultural official said on Tuesday.
