New breakthroughs achieved in transforming the development model and adjusting the structure of grain production
In 2015, facing multiple tests including severe natural disasters in some areas, frequent biological disasters, and a volatile market environment, a breakthrough was achieved in defending grain production at a high level. This year's grain output reached 62.1435 million tons, an increase of 1.4408 million tons, setting a new record high. Crop production maintained a good development momentum, not only ensuring stable grain supply but also achieving quality improvement and efficiency gains.
Positive progress was made in structural adjustment. Since the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Agriculture selected 30 counties in the "Three-North" region to carry out pilot programs of converting grain crops to feed crops, and selected 3 counties (farms) in Heilongjiang to carry out pilot programs of corn-soybean rotation, guiding high-latitude and arid areas to replace water-intensive and out-of-zone crops such as corn with drought-tolerant crops such as miscellaneous grains and beans according to local conditions.
⟦NL> Transformation of the development model was carried out in an orderly manner. First, integrated technology extension. Twenty green yield-increasing and efficiency-enhancing technology models were integrated and assembled, 20 key technologies for saving seeds, fertilizer, pesticides and water were selected, and a number of demonstration zones featuring both yield increase and efficiency improvement as well as coordinated and sustainable production and ecology were built. Second, conservation and utilization of resources. Efforts were organized to carry out the "zero growth of chemical fertilizer use by 2020" and "zero growth of pesticide use by 2020" initiatives, promoting reduction and efficiency enhancement of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. According to scientific calculations by the Ministry of Agriculture, in 2015 the fertilizer utilization rate of the three major staple crops was 35.2%, and the pesticide utilization rate was 36.6%, up 2.2 and 1.6 percentage points respectively compared with 2013. Third, innovation in service methods. Efforts were made to promote cooperation between agricultural enterprises and farmers to extend formula fertilizers, and relying on new types of business entities, integrated extension of reduction and efficiency-enhancing technology models was carried out to achieve fertilizer savings and efficiency gains.
Quality and efficiency were steadily improved. Great efforts were made to advance standardized production, actively promote the establishment of standard horticultural crop gardens, and relying on new types of business entities, promote regionalized and standardized green technology models on a full-scale basis. Actions to upgrade the "three types of products" of horticultural crops were carried out, renovation of old orchards (tea gardens) was conducted, and variety improvement, quality enhancement and brand creation were promoted.
Environmental governance was solidly advanced. The "Action for Protection and Improvement of Cultivated Land Quality" was carried out. Based on ecological types and the current status of cultivated land quality, comprehensive treatment of degraded cultivated land, prevention and remediation of polluted cultivated land, and protection and improvement of soil fertility were implemented. It is understood that since the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Agriculture specially allocated 500 million yuan to carry out pilot programs for black soil protection and utilization in 17 major grain-producing counties in Northeast China. At the same time, 1.5 billion yuan was continuously allocated to carry out comprehensive treatment pilot programs in heavy metal polluted areas of Hunan, orderly advance the delineation of permanent basic farmland, and consolidate the foundation of grain production.
To promote the development of modern crop production, in 2016 the crop production sector will focus on the "three persistences and three breakthroughs." First, persist in science and technology leadership, striving to achieve new breakthroughs in innovative development. Second, persist in giving priority to efficiency, striving to achieve new breakthroughs in coordinated development. Third, persist in prioritizing ecology, striving to achieve new breakthroughs in green development.