BEIJING — Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua on April 1 called for solid efforts to boost corn and rice production to stabilize the output and supply of the crops.

Hu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while speaking at a video conference on advancing the production of corn and rice.

Corn is not only an important staple grain but also a vital source of feed and a raw material for many industrial products, Hu said, noting that there is a certain gap between its production and demand.

Regions across the country should boost corn production and strive to maintain the coverage and yield of the crop at last year's level, while measures should be taken to regulate demand for corn deep-processing and strictly control the use of corn for fuel.

More efforts should be made to stabilize and raise the output of rice, the most important staple grain in China, the vice-premier said.

He also underlined the importance of reconciling COVID-19 containment with agricultural production in rural regions.