BEIJING — The Ministry of Agriculture on April 14 urged farmers to do more to address water and soil pollution.

Annual water consumption in agricultural irrigation should not exceed 372 billion cubic meters by 2020, said Zhang Taolin, vice-minister of agriculture, at a press conference held at the State Council Information Office.

Currently, one cubic meter of water is needed for every kilogram of grain harvested in China, lower than the average of 1.2-1.4 kilograms in advanced countries, Zhang said.

Zhang urged farmers to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides by limiting waste and switching to organic alternatives.

Chemical fertilizer use hit 59 million tonnes in 2013, up 5.2 percent on average when compared with the past three decades, according to earlier reports.

Pesticide consumption should be cut to 300,000 tonnes, from the current 320,000 tonnes, said Zhang.

Fecal residue and waste, agricultural films and crop straw resources should be managed properly, he added.