Construction has started on the first phase of what will be the largest central grain reserve base in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, aiming to help ensure the nation's grain security by adding storage capacity.

The project will be the province's largest central reserve grain depot, and it will have a scientific layout and advanced functions, China Media Group reported on Saturday.

The depot will improve grain storage and logistics in the southwest part of China, and optimize the regional and national grain reserve systems.

It will also offer beneficial policies for farmers, maintain the nation's grain security and support macro-control of grain allocation.

The project is located in the Qinzhou Port area, which is part of a major grain base project being built by China Grain Reserves Group (Sinograin), with an investment of 1.12 billion yuan ($162 million). It will have a total warehouse capacity of 560,000 tons after completion, according to the report.

The first phase is set to be completed in December, while the second phase is expected to be finished in June 2024.

The central grain reserve base in Guangxi will increase China's overall reserve capacity, while the stored grain will be allocated based on the actual situation, Li Guoxiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday.

New bases that adopt more advanced and smarter technologies will improve the storage quality for China's grain reserves.

The first phase of the Haigang district grain reserve base project of Central Grain Reserve Qinhuangdao Direct Warehouse Co, affiliated with Sinograin, in North China's Hebei Province recently opened. It has a designed storage capacity of 250,000 tons, the Xinhua News Agency reported on April 29.