BEIJING. Apr 3: Maintain ing self sufficiency In grain into the next century will require massive investment by the Chinese government and drastic measures to boost unit yields and reduce waste, a report said Sunday, report AFP

Chinese researchers and officials are "cautiously optimistic" that China will be able to feed a population estimated to reach some 1.6 billion people in the middle of the 21st century, but acknowledge that achieving this aim is a great challenge. Xinhua reported

The agency cited re searchers as estimating the country's maximum annual grain production capacity at between 800 million and one billion tonnes if technological advances are thoroughly exploited to boost yields.

This volume would be sufficient to feed a population of between 1.5 and 1.69 billion at (hat time, when per capita grain cdnsurqption is expected to Increase from 375 kilograms to between 500 and 550 kilograms. It said.

Grain output In 1994 stood at 44.6 million tonnes, down 11:9 million tonnes from the previous year.

Research shows that unit yields could be "drastically" Increased if an annual 130 mi! lion yuan (15.5 million dollars) Is earmarked for improving crop species, Xinhua said.

The report cited surveys' estimating China's current arable land at 125 million, hectares (309 million acres).

The encroachment of Industrial projects on the country's farmland has become a major problem In recent years, with a separate report in The People's Daily estimating that 1.1 million hectares had been lost in 1994. accounting for

4-5 million tonnes of the drop in grain output.

Xinhua quoted researchers as saying the arable area would eventually stabilise at around 113 million hectares, enough maintain self-sufficiency