Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu on Thursday supported higher investment in farm infrastructure as part of an effort to raise grain output and farmers' incomes.

China's grain output has risen for four consecutive years, Hui told local officials during a televised conference.

He urged local authorities to encourage investment from multiple sources to renovate reservoirs, build irrigation facilities and fund projects that provide safe drinking water for farmers.

"The agricultural sector needs more infrastructure to offset the impact of increasingly frequent extreme weather caused by global climate change," he said.

The vice premier also ordered stepped-up efforts to control animal diseases and reduce forest fires this winter and next spring.
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(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2007)