Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao has urged departments concerned to work together to ensure a lasting and uninterrupted vegetable and meat supply to both urban and rural residents.
Wen, a member of both the Political Bureau and the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, made the call at a nationwide televised working conference on the "vegetable basket" program on Tuesday.
Efforts should be made to guarantee safe vegetables and meat for consumers, while farmers, the main food producers, should be helped to increase their income, the official said.
He attributed the success of the decade-old "vegetable basket" program to the market-led reforms that have encouraged farmers to produce more vegetables and meat.
Now people are paying greater attention to hygiene in relation to food, Wen said, noting that the "vegetable basket" program should be focused on both cities and rural areas.
Meanwhile, he also urged local exporters to make use of the changes in both international and domestic markets.
In his speech, the vice premier gave instructions on ways to ensure the production of safe vegetables and meat.
( Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2002)
