The invention discloses a primary drying air control system and method for a mechanical-grate garbage incinerator. The system comprises a flue gas recirculation baffle, a flue gas recirculation fan, arecirculation flue gas flow sensor, a recirculation flue gas temperature sensor, a garbage moisture content sensor, a recirculation flue gas temperature sensor gain module, a garbage moisture sensorgain module, a binary multiplication operation module and a PID controller. The flue gas recirculation baffle and the flue gas recirculation fan are installed at the tail of a boiler, the recirculation flue gas flow sensor and the recirculation flue gas temperature sensor are installed between the flue gas recirculation baffle and the flue gas recirculation fan, the garbage moisture content sensoris installed at an outlet of a garbage hopper, the recirculation flue gas temperature sensor gain module is connected with the recirculation flue gas temperature sensor, the garbage moisture sensor gain module is connected with the garbage moisture content sensor, the binary multiplication operation module is connected with a boiler outlet steam set value gain module, the garbage moisture sensorgain module and the recirculation flue gas temperature sensor gain module, and the PID controller is connected with the binary multiplication operation module, the flue gas recirculation baffle and the recirculation flue gas flow sensor. According to the primary drying air control system and method for the mechanical-grate garbage incinerator, the economical efficiency and the adjusting performance of a primary air system are thoroughly improved, the incineration efficiency of the grate incinerator is improved, and pollutant emission is reduced.