DENG SETS LIMIT TO CHINA GRAIN IMPORTS, PAPER SAYS

  China's top leader Deng Xiaoping said
  China must not import more than 10 mln tonnes of grain, Ming
  Pao newspaper of Hong Kong said.
      Customs figures show that China imported 7.73 mln tonnes of
  grain in 1986, up from 5.97 mln in 1985 but down from a record
  16.15 mln in 1982.
      The newspaper quoted Deng as saying that grain output is
  one of several key issues that will influence the whole
  development of the economy. It did not give the context of his
  remarks. The 1987 grain production target is 405 mln, up from
  391 mln in 1986.
      The newspaper quoted Deng as saying that the situation has
  reached the point where "pigs are not fed, there is not enough
  grain and increases in output have slowed."
      "We should in our overall economic planning put agriculture
  in its proper place to reach our target of 480 mln tonnes by
  the year 2000," he said. "We must avoid the situation in recent
  years of importing more than 10 mln tonnes of grain."
      The paper quoted Deng as saying that the State Council has
  decided to raise the price of five grains, including corn and
  rice, unchanged since 1978, but it gave no details.
  

