Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua has urged unremitting efforts to ensure a bumper summer harvest and good autumn sowing so as to achieve the whole-year goal of grain production.

From Friday to Saturday, Hu was in Henan Province, the country's leading producer of wheat, to oversee the summer harvesting work. He conducted field inspections to learn about the work of mechanical harvesting, the supply of production materials, grain storage and meteorological services.

The vice premier said as the wheat grew well this summer, no effort must be spared to ensure a complete harvest. He asked for green channels to be established to ensure unimpeded flow of the workforce and agricultural machinery, and service hotlines to be launched to help solve problems and difficulties that may affect the summer harvest.

At present, more than 600,000 combine harvesters can be used for wheat harvesting, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

As COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control nationwide has impacted cross-region operations of agricultural machinery, different regions are advised to consider their own situation, make concrete and detailed response plans and measures to ensure combine harvesters be applied in wheat harvest.

Hu also underscored efforts in the collection and storage of summer grain and oil, to protect the interests and benefits of wheat-growing farmers.

The National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (NBS) announced on Saturday that it will strictly strengthen supervision and inspection of grain purchases this summer, severely punish violations of laws and regulations, and earnestly protect the interests of grain farmers.

"We will prevent farmers from receiving payment for grain sales in arrears in any form," said Zhong Haitao, director of the Law Enforcement Supervision Bureau of the NBS.

It is estimated that the total purchase of wheat, early indica rice and rapeseed in the peak season will be about 65 billion kilograms, the same as the annual level.

(With input from Xinhua)