Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua made an inspection visit to Shandong province on Feb 18, pressing for efforts in spring agricultural production.

Hu checked the supply of agricultural materials, soil moisture and crop seedlings, farm management, agricultural production trusteeship, and processing of agricultural products during his visits to family farms, farmers’ cooperatives and agricultural enterprises in Linyi and Qihe counties, Dezhou city.

He said related departments should enhance market supervision to safeguard the supply of agricultural materials, such as seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides and diesel oil.

Hu also said that more agricultural credit funds should be put into the market to guarantee spring plowing, while farmland management and agricultural technology services should be improved to guide farmers to better manage groundwater and to conduct pest control.

Meteorological monitoring and forecasting should also be strengthened to help prepare for cold weather, floods and droughts, he added.

According to Hu, accelerated efforts should be made to innovate agriculture management, to support the development of family farms, farmers’ cooperatives and leading enterprises, and to introduce small rural households into the new agricultural industry.