BEIJING — Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua called for more emphasis on the construction of farmland water conservancy projects on Jan 10.

Hu made the remarks during an agricultural inspection tour in Shandong and Hebei provinces.

Farmland water conservancy projects are key to safeguarding food security, ensuring the supply of major agricultural products, and maintaining a stable economy, Hu said.

Hu said high-standard cropland should be at the center of the construction of farmland water conservancy projects and more efforts should be made to guarantee the task will be completed in a timely and high-quality manner.

China has stepped up efforts to build major water conservancy projects as 132 key water conservancy projects have been under construction since 2014, with the total investment exceeding one trillion yuan (about $146.71 billion).

Hu also stressed the improvement of facilities for flood control and drought relief and better protection of water resources during the inspection.