BEIJING - About 50 million tonnes of grain are lost or wasted each year in China, the State Administration of Grain director Ren Zhengxiao said in Beijing on Wednesday.

The figure is equal to about 8.3 percent of the country's total annual grain production.

According to Ren, who is also a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, about 35 million tonnes of grain are lost or wasted in the course of storage, transportation and processing, while the rest is wasted in the kitchen and on the table.

He said food security awareness must be raised among the public, adding that a national drive to improve grain storage facilities across the country, which began in 2013, could help conserve 750,000 tonnes of grain each year.