BEIJING - President Xi Jinping has encouraged agricultural colleges to strengthen moral education and talent cultivation to promote the country's agricultural development.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when replying to a letter from Party secretaries, presidents and experts of over 50 agricultural colleges on Thursday.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China 70 years ago, the country's agricultural colleges have kept in mind their mission of running schools, meticulously cultivated outstanding talents, and strengthened scientific research and innovation, making positive contributions to the development of agriculture, rural areas and farmers, Xi wrote in the letter.

China's modernization requires agricultural and rural modernization, to which science and technology as well as talents are the key, he said.

In the new era, the countryside is a field full of hope and a vast stage of entrepreneurship, Xi wrote, adding that China's higher education in agriculture and forestry has great potential.

Xi expressed his hope that colleges will further strengthen moral education and talent cultivation, assume the responsibility of boosting agricultural prosperity, and bring out more scientific and technological achievements to help promote agricultural and rural modernization, ensure food security, raise farmers' living standards, and contribute to poverty reduction and rural vitalization.

In a recent letter to Xi, more than 100 Party secretaries, presidents as well as agricultural and forestry experts of over 50 agricultural colleges reported their discussions over agricultural education held in Anji of east China's Zhejiang Province.