China has maintained food security for 17 consecutive years with its annual grain output staying above 650 million tonnes for the past six years, Minister of Agricultural and Rural Affairs Tang Renjian told press at the Ministers' Corridor after the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. 

China's per capita food consumption stands at 474 kilograms, well above the international safety line of 400 kilograms, which the country has exceeded for the last four years, Tang said. "Our food security can be fully guaranteed," he said.

Compared with developed countries, China's seed industry still has a certain gap in independent innovation, but it is still self-sufficient in agricultural seeds, according to the minister. The two major grain crops - rice and wheat - rely entirely on China's own agricultural seeds, Tang said. 

China will speed ​​up the implementation of seed source bottle neck technical research and win the race in the development and innovation of the seed industry, he added.