Food industry to grow 20 percent this year

China's food industry enjoyed sound operation in 2004, with a predicted year-on-year growth rate of more than 20 percent, Wang Wenzhe, president of China National Food Industry Association, said at the association's annual conference on food security here Saturday.

The industry's sales reached 838.3 billion yuan (10.1 billion US dollars) from January to July, up 28.32 percent over the same period last year, Wang said.

According to him, the world's economic environment will remain optimistic for the rest of the year, and the recovering world economy will be conducive to the growth of China's food industry.

This year's conference focused on concrete measures to ensure food security and promote international cooperation in this field. More than 200 food service businesses promised to ensure the security of their products.

Source: Xinhua