Premier Li Keqiang gave an instruction to a national teleconference held on Nov 3 on building and maintaining farmland irrigation facilities for the following winter and spring.

Premier Li said more work should be done to improve the infrastructure network and water management system, to improve productivity and disaster prevention, and save water resources.

According to the Premier, better irrigation infrastructure is an urgent need and basic guarantee to deepen the supply-side reform in agriculture, and improve farmers’ income and life.

The Premier also called on governments at all levels to implement the new development concept and take a leading role in the rural rejuvenation and poverty alleviation.

Meanwhile, related systems should be innovated to push forward the rural water price reform and other key undertakings, he said.

All the social forces, especially the farmers, should be mobilized to build and maintain irrigation facilities for the winter and spring, the Premier said.

Vice-Premier Wang Yang addressed the meeting.

He said the teleconference was a first national meeting after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, demonstrating the important position of farmers, villages, and agriculture.

He urged local authorities and related departments to address the unbalanced and insufficient development of water conservancy, to ensure full implementation of the central government’s strategy.

The meeting also laid out work on current farm production, autumn grain procurement, and forest fire prevention.