SHIJIAZHUANG — Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua on June 17 stressed agricultural production to reap a bumper summer harvest.

Hu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, urged efforts in summer sowing and farm management to ensure grain security during his inspection tour in Hebei, one of the country's major grain production provinces.

Hu urged efforts to ensure that the country's grain output stays above 650 billion kg this year, as a bumper harvest is crucial to overall economic and social development.

He underscored smoothing channels for procuring summer wheat and rice and solving problems in this regard, including issues with funding and warehouse storage.

Efforts should ensure the supply of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides and minimize the impact of rising prices for agricultural materials, Hu said, adding that the summer sowing areas should expand rather than shrink.