Update | China grain surplus reaches record peak but official warns surpluses cannot be guaranteed

China’s grain stocks are at an historic high, but one sixth of the overall total is stored in vulnerable makeshift warehouses – posing a major challenge for food safety, a government official says.

Ren Zhengxiao, director of the State Administration of Grain, warned: “The safety risks for grain storage run high, and we will build new warehouses and renovate old ones to prevent the risks.”

Ren also pledged to improve storage conditions at the warehouses. So far there had not been any large-scale cases of stored grain turning bad, but the administration would prevent any contaminated crops – those polluted with heavy metals or mouldy grains containing toxins – being stored or sold on the market to safeguard food safety, Ren said.

He also noted that stale crops were not poisonous.

China is attempting to reduce its reliance on grain imports while increasing domestic grain security under its new five-year plan.