BEIJING - Top officials of China's State Council, the country's cabinet, highlighted the long-term and stable development of grain production on Monday as rising production costs and climate change are imposing challenges.

The top officials made the call at a meeting held Monday by the State Council in Beijing, which commended 200 top grain-producing counties and 700 agricultural scientists, farmers, and skilled workers who made great ?contributions to the nation's grain production in 2011.

Government data showed China's grain output rose to a record high of 571.21 million tonnes this year. The figure represented a year-on-year increase of 4.5 percent and marked the eighth consecutive year of growth for the country's grain output.

The officials agreed that the nation must place grain production at a "particular important" position in its economic and social development by further improving the construction of infrastructure related to grain production and agriculture and constantly increasing subsidies for farming.

They also agreed the country should continue to raise the minimum purchasing price for grains and provide greater rewards for top grain-producing counties, so that incentives can be created to boost the enthusiasm from local authorities, experts, and farmers to stabilize grain production in the world's most populous country.