The province of Shandong will beef up efforts to promote coordinated development between rural and urban areas, advance rural vitalization on all fronts, further high-quality and modern agricultural development and improve people's well-being in the coming five years, said local officials during a recent news conference held by the Information Office of Shandong Provincial People's Government.

Over the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Shandong, an agricultural powerhouse in the country, will regard work concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers as its top priority.

Measures will be launched to ensure the supply of grain and major agricultural products. According to local officials, Shandong will develop more high-standard farmland with high and stable yields regardless of drought or flood over the period.

In 2021, the province will add 436,000 hectares of high-standard farmland.

Shandong will accelerate the implementation of major scientific and technological projects in agricultural biological breeding. It aims to develop over 100 new crop varieties with independent intellectual property rights by 2025.

The province will increase popularity of local-branded farm products such as Shouguang vegetables, Qixia apples, Jinxiang garlic, and Zhangqiu green onion.

Shandong will continue to promote the beautiful countryside construction.