Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed that it is important to ensure the safety and quality of agricultural products, noting that crimes endangering food safety should be severely punished.

Xi called for more efforts to implement the rural revitalization strategy with the chief goal to modernize agriculture and rural areas.

"The top task for implementing the rural revitalization strategy is to ensure supply of important agricultural products, grain in particular," said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

He made the remarks when joining deliberation with deputies from Henan Province at the second session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's national legislature.

Henan in central China is a major agricultural province with a large population, Xi said, emphasizing the importance of agriculture, rural areas and rural residents.

He urged the province to give full play to its strengths in grain production and build itself into one of China's core areas in grain production.

Illegal land use should not be tolerated and pollution in agriculture and rural areas should be strictly prohibited, Xi said.

The president urged the deputies to adhere to green development concepts and said that more efforts should be made to further facilitate the integrated development of urban and rural areas.

As the discussion took place on the International Women's Day (March 8), Xi extended festive congratulations and good wishes to female legislators and political advisors attending the country's annual Two Sessions, as well as all Chinese women.