China will start today a three-month nationwide check of its grain stocks, a program many feared would be jeopardized by the worst drought in 50 years, a senior grain official has announced.

The central government's website, (www.gov.cn), quoted Ren Zhengxiao, vice-director of the State Administration of Grains, as saying yesterday that the first grain inventory check since 2001 will be in five stages and involve more than 100,000 personnel from 10 State Council departments and various localities.

The check follows a State Council decision last October to "find out the true volume of our grain stocks", and serves as an important response to the global financial crisis and an act to ensure national grain safety, Ren said.