China says it expects to produce more grain than it needs this year after a summer harvest. 

State Grain Administration Vice-Director Zhang Guifeng made the remark Friday at a forum in Nanning, capital city of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southwest China.

She said that in recent years, the Chinese government has taken measures to protect its arable land, cut agricultural taxes and invest more in agriculture. These measures have helped encourage grain production.

China is one of the world's largest grain producers and consumers. Its grain planting area accounts for 20 percent of the world's total.

China's total grain output last year was nearly 470 billion kilograms. 

(CRI June 11, 2005)