The government is expected to approve commercial planting of genetically modified (GM) rice in three to five years as a major effort to raise food supply.

Huang Dafang, a member of the Biosafety Committee at the Ministry of Agriculture, said the nation -- which faces shrinking farmland and an increasing population -- will turn to genetically modified organism technology to ensure grain security.

The revelation comes amid government calls for stepped-up efforts to mass-produce and commercialize GM crops based on scientific assessment and strict regulation.

In November, the ministry issued bio-safety certificates to strains of pest-resistant GM rice and corn.

But the strains need registration and production trials before commercial output can begin, which may take three to five years, Huang told China Daily.

"The issuing of bio-safety certificates has great implications as it is the first time a major grain producer is endorsing the use of GM technology in a food staple," said Xue Dayuan, professor of biotechnology at Minzu University of China.

The government has set a target of increasing grain output by 50 million tons between 2009 and 2020.

"Once GM technology is used for mass production, it would definitely help China achieve that target and feed its 1.3 billion people," said Huang, also a researcher with the Biotechnology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Thereafter, "it will be of great political and economic significance," he said.

"The use of GM technology is an inevitable trend for the global agriculture industry, including China," he stressed, adding that it has been scientifically proven that the approved GM strains are as safe as non-genetically modified varieties.