BEIJING, CHINA — China is encouraging all farmers to increase grain production with the planting of wheat, corn and rice, the South China Morning Post reported citing a notice published by the State Council.

According to the notice, China must “Stabilize domestic grain output to cope with uncertainties stemming from the global situation.”

This guideline is the newest development of China emphasizing the importance of grain security.

The notice said farmers should prioritize growing grain and edible products instead of achieving economic return and instructed local governments to set “minimum grain planting acreages.”

The notice comes after China saw a 41% increase in October soybean imports of 8.69 million tonnes and the USDA is forecasting the country to import 22 million tonnes of corn in the 2020-21 marketing year to fill a continued supply gap.