DALIAN, Jan. 12(Xinhuanet)-- The Chinese government is urged to open a special combined rail-and-sea route to link the northeastern grain base with the country's southern and eastern provinces via the Dalian port.

Cereals from China's northermost Heilongjiang province could befirst transported by rail to Dalian port, and then be shipped to the coastal provinces in the east, said Lian Deyi, director of Heilongjiang's Grain Bureau. The transport costs will be lower than that of direct rail transport.

Currently, Heilongjiang is in the busy season for grain sales, with an increasing number of wholesalers from different parts of the country flocking in the province, said Lian, noting that transporting the grains has been an urgent issue to solve for the province.

To make the joint rail-and-sea route operational as early as possible, Lian suggests that the central government take substantial steps to further lower the shipping price, to attract more companies to choose the joint route for grain transportation.

Called China's biggest grain granary, the northeast area, whichincludes Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces, turned out approximately 18 percent of the country's total food grain, with alarge proportion shipped to other Chinese provinces.

According to Lian, Heilongjiang province has maintained an annual grain production of 30 million tons in recent years. Of this 18 million to 22 million tons yearly are shipped to other provinces, including Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces and Shanghai municipality in east China, and Guangdong province and Guangxi region in south China.