BEIJING, Feb. 21 -- China has issued a circular on securing the supply and stabilizing the prices of fertilizers to ensure the country's food security.

Local authorities and related government departments should encourage fertilizer manufacturers to resume production and improve capacity utilization, according to the circular jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and other government agencies.

Production work should meet environmental protection and production safety requirements and have a sufficient water supply, the circular said.

It urged local authorities to actively identify the transportation demand of fertilizer producers, and resolve related difficulties and problems through timely coordination.

Economic planners at the provincial level should work with related government departments to analyze market demand and the supply and prices of spring ploughing fertilizers, and actively resolve problems in production, transportation, storage, sales and utilization, per the circular.

It also ordered the country's 13 major grain-producing regions to establish special mechanisms to ensure the supply and price stability of fertilizers for spring ploughing.