XI'AN, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong has stressed the importance of accelerating scientific and technological innovation in agriculture, improving farmland irrigation and water conservancy, and increasing grain yields to ensure food security.

Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a research trip in northwest China's Shaanxi Province that lasted from Tuesday to Thursday.

The trip brought the vice premier to a high-tech agricultural industry demonstration zone and to Northwest A&F University, where he learned about progress in the breeding of high-quality crop varieties, water conservation in arid areas, and the research and development of agricultural machinery used in hilly and mountainous areas.

Sci-tech advancements and innovation are key to agricultural modernization, the vice premier said, emphasizing the importance of creating innovation platforms and strategically developing agricultural science and technology.

Efforts should be made to strengthen innovation synergy, improve resource-sharing and make breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields so that China can achieve greater self-reliance and strength in agricultural sci-tech at an accelerated pace, he said.

During the research trip, Liu also inspected progress made in the management of a Fuping County river, the repair of Pucheng County's drainage system, and ecological restoration along the Weihe River.

（Editor:Fu Bo）