CHANGCHUN, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has urged local authorities to secure the country's food security in seeking commercial vigor and momentum to keep stable economic growth.

    Wen made the remarks during a visit to northeast China's Jilin Province from Saturday to Monday, saying the priority for local governments was to implement economic policies set by the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

    In visiting a village in Jiutai City on Saturday, Premier Wen told local farmers that the government would gradually increase the purchase price of corn from farmers to encourage more production.

    Premier Wen said producing fuel ethanol with agricultural byproducts was necessary and encouraged a local company to make more technological breakthroughs to convert straw into grain alcohol.

    But he also stressed that government should prevent blind mass investment in the conversion business since the country's food security was always the top priority.

    Visiting the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wen told scientists that improving the country's economic competitiveness was much more than just overcoming current difficulties in coping with the international economic downturn.

    After visiting other state-owned enterprises, Wen said technological innovation should be relied on to boost economic growth and industrial development.

    He also visited a wind power generator firm to review the assembly line.

    The development of clean energy, such as wind power, and renewable energy sources was a global trend, Wen said. The government should establish a general outline for the development of the industry, in which the power plant's total capacity should be in accordance with actual need to prevent generating excess power.

    The government and enterprises should take business opportunities in the global downturn to expand their international market share with high-tech products so as to push the country's economy on to an innovative track, Wen said.