GUANGZHOU, April 15 (Xinhua) -- South China's Guangdong Province denied speculations of grain shortages on Monday, saying supplies were stable and it was not necessary for citizens to hoard grains.

    The province has sufficient reserves to feed its people for five months, the provincial grain administration and agricultural department said.

    The authorities denied a report published by China Economic Weekly, which said Guangdong was facing the biggest grain deficiency in the country -- as much as 24 million tons a year, China Daily reported on Tuesday.

    The provincial administration of grain released a report last week on current supplies and prices, saying grain storage in Guangzhou was sufficient to meet the city's demand for 10 days, while Shenzhen's storage was enough for 25 days.

    Guangdong has maintained its maximum grain productivity, around14 million tons a year, for many years. This amount accounts for 40 percent of the province's demand, the administration said.

    About 24 million tons of grain are imported from other provinces, including leading grain producers such as Hunan, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Anhui and Jilin provinces and autonomous region, it said.

    Guangdong has also signed a number of cooperative agreements with other provinces to import more grain, the administration said.

    Last year, the province produced 12.85 million tons of grain and bought 25 million tons.

    Guangdong, one of the richest Chinese provinces, has just two million hectares of cultivated land, Cheng Ganrong, a publicity official with the province's agricultural department, was quoted as saying.

    "The situation this year is very similar to what we've faced in the past," Cheng said. "Our reserves are sufficient and the price is stable. It is not necessary for people to hoard grain."

    Last month, the price of a 50-kg bag of rice, wheat or corn was between 75.90 yuan (10.80 U.S. dollars) and 86.90 yuan, up about four percent on equivalent prices in October.

    Li Min, vice-director of the grain administration, said, "The increase in price is encouraging more farmers to plant rice in th eprovince."