Chinese vice premier urges efforts to consolidate poverty alleviation achievements, prevent agricultural disasters

ZHENGZHOU, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong has urged sustained poverty alleviation efforts, and emphasized the need to fully implement agricultural disaster prevention and mitigation measures to secure a bumper summer grain harvest.

Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a research trip to the provinces of Shaanxi and Henan which took place from Monday to Wednesday.

In Shangluo City of Shaanxi, he called for targeted measures to boost industries with distinctive local features and advantages to create job opportunities and enrich farmers.

As winter wheat is in a critical period of growth that will affect the year's output, he went to the fields in Weinan City of Shaanxi and Luoyang City of Henan, urging strengthened technical guidance and precise irrigation to minimize the impact of drought. He also stressed the importance of enhancing weather forecasting and early warning services and guarding against potential disasters such as plant diseases and insect pests to secure a bumper harvest.

During the trip, Liu visited health service stations and child care centers, stressing the need to enhance prevention and control of key infectious diseases, leverage the unique advantages of traditional Chinese medicine to improve primary healthcare services, and boost integrated child care services. ■