China seeks to boost farm output amid soaring food costs
China on Thursday announced new duties on fertiliser exports in a bid to boost farming output, after Premier Wen Jiaobao said greater efforts were needed to tackle soaring food prices. Wen said more must be done to help the nation's agriculture sector after data was released on Wednesday showing food prices in China surged 21.0 per cent in the first quarter, driving inflation to 8.0 per cent. "The most prominent problem in the domestic economy is that prices are still running at high levels,' Wen said in comments published in various Chinese media outlets on Thursday.