China's grain price would keep stable as a whole, said Premier Wen Jiabao during his inspection tour to north China's Hebei Province this weekend.

Wen made the tour on June 4 and June 5 in the rural areas of Gaocheng City in Hebei in a bid to learn about the harvest of summer grain crops and the effect of rural tax reforms.

The government would take macro-control measures to stabilize grain price when the farmers start to sell their grains after the summer harvest, said Wen.

National grain reserves would not be sold in a hurry and the state would leave the grain market to the farmers, pledged the premier.

China reported a grain price hike last year due to dropping grain output. The government has taken measures to encourage grain growing in order to avoid a possible grain shortage in the world'smost populous nation.

Thanks to the timely government efforts and the grain price hike, China reaped 469.45 billion kg of grain in 2004, up 38.75 billion kg over the previous year and a record high in 55 years. The bumper harvest also ended an output plunge for five consecutive years.

With this year's summer grain harvest around the corner, Wen urged governments at all levels to help farmers in all aspects to ensure another good harvest.

During his inspection tour, Wen also talked with local farmers on other outstanding issues in the rural areas, such as health care, compulsory education and drinking water supply.

Source: Xinhua