How is the provincial governor responsibility system for food security assessed? An interpretation by the deputy director of the Central Rural Work Leading Group Office

(The "Measures" ) Deputy Director Han Jun of the Central Rural Work Leading Group Office interprets the assessment measures for the provincial governor responsibility system for food security

Fully implement food security responsibilities

Recently, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Assessment Measures for the Provincial Governor Responsibility System for Food Security," clarifying the assessment subjects, principles, content, procedures and application of results for the provincial governor responsibility system for food security, and making comprehensive arrangements for establishing an assessment mechanism for the provincial governor responsibility system for food security. What is the significance of the introduction and implementation of the "Measures" for promoting the implementation of the provincial governor responsibility system for food security and safeguarding national food security? What aspects does the assessment content include, and how is implementation guaranteed? Our reporter interviewed Han Jun, deputy director of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group. 

For the first time, a dedicated document clarifies the assessment of provincial-level people's governments' food security responsibilities

Han Jun said that this is the first time the General Office of the State Council has used a dedicated document to clarify the assessment of provincial-level people's governments' food security responsibilities, fully demonstrating the high importance the Party Central Committee and the State Council attach to establishing and improving the provincial governor responsibility system for food security and safeguarding national food security.

The "Measures" clarify that the State Council is the assessment subject. The assessment content covers the food security responsibilities that the people's governments of all provinces (regions and municipalities) should bear in all links such as food production, circulation and consumption, and annual assessments are conducted. A assessment work group composed of the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Administration of Grain together with relevant departments is responsible for specific implementation. The office of the assessment work group is located in the State Administration of Grain and undertakes the routine work of assessment.

“An important task at present and for some time to come is to further strengthen local governments' awareness of and responsibility for food security by establishing and gradually improving the assessment mechanism, promote the people's governments of all provinces (regions and municipalities) in comprehensively strengthening the construction of local food production, reserve and circulation capacity, and truly establish a system in which provincial-level people's governments take full responsibility for food production, circulation and security under national macro-control.” Han Jun said.

Greater emphasis on the scientific nature and operability of assessment work

Han Jun said that as early as 1994 the State Council proposed that China's food management implement a system of unified central leadership and responsibility at local levels, and for the first time clearly established a leadership responsibility system for provincial, autonomous region and municipality governments, and subsequently issued a series of documents emphasizing implementation of this system.

This time the State Council issued the "Measures," clarifying the assessment subject, assessment methods and assessment procedures of the supervision and assessment mechanism, and placing greater emphasis on the scientific nature and operability of assessment work.

The supervision and assessment mechanism is stricter and more serious. The "Measures" clarify that assessment results must be submitted to the central department in charge of cadres and serve as an important reference for comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the principal responsible persons and leadership teams of the people's governments of all provinces (regions and municipalities). For those with unqualified assessment results, within one month after the assessment results are notified, a written report must be made to the State Council proposing rectification measures and a time limit; if rectification is not completed within the time limit, the relevant departments shall interview the relevant responsible persons of the people's government of that province (region or municipality), and when necessary, leaders of the State Council shall interview the principal responsible person of the people's government of that province (region or municipality). For serious impacts on the food market and social stability caused by failure to perform duties or major work errors, responsibility shall be pursued according to law and discipline against the relevant responsible persons.

Greater emphasis on the scientific nature and operability of assessment work. The "Measures" clarify adherence to combining unified coordination with division of responsibilities, comprehensive supervision with key assessments, and quantitative evaluation with qualitative assessment. Assessment work is led by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Administration of Grain. Relevant departments both divide responsibilities and cooperate closely, both conducting supervision and inspection of the implementation of the provincial governor responsibility system for food security by provincial-level people's governments in conjunction with each department's routine work, and jointly scoring key content in assessments.

To enhance the scientific nature of assessment work, the "Measures" determine the score weights of assessment indicators separately according to the different characteristics of major grain-producing areas and non-major grain-producing areas, and also clarify qualitative assessment methods for guiding targets and guiding requirements concerning food work.

Comprehensive assessment of key matters in implementing the provincial governor responsibility system for food security

Han Jun said that food security is an important cornerstone for achieving economic development, social stability and national security. Solving the food problem of 1.3 billion people has always been the top priority in governance. As China's resource constraints become increasingly severe and the impact of the international market on the domestic grain market deepens, establishing and improving the provincial governor responsibility system for food security is an inevitable choice for safeguarding national food security.

According to the "Measures," the assessment content includes six aspects: enhancing sustainable food production capacity, protecting enthusiasm for grain planting, enhancing local grain reserve capacity, guaranteeing grain market supply, ensuring grain quality and safety, and implementing safeguard measures.

Enhancing sustainable food production capacity is the item with the highest score weight in the assessment indicator system. The assessment content includes ensuring that the cultivated land area remains basically stable and quality does not decline, that grain production develops steadily, and that sustainable food production capacity continuously increases. Key assessment matters include protecting cultivated land and improving grain production capacity.

In protecting enthusiasm for grain planting, the assessment content includes reasonable growth in fiscal input supporting grain production and circulation, improving comparative returns from grain planting, implementing grain purchase policies, and avoiding difficulties in selling grain. Key assessment matters include implementing and improving grain support policies and doing a good job in grain purchasing.

In enhancing local grain reserve capacity, the assessment content includes implementing local grain reserves, enhancing grain storage capacity, strengthening supervision and management, and ensuring that the quantity of local reserve grain is true and quality is safe. Key assessment matters include strengthening the construction and management of grain storage and logistics facilities and properly managing local grain reserves.

In guaranteeing grain market supply, the assessment content includes improving the grain regulation and supervision system, guaranteeing basic stability of grain market supply and prices, avoiding shortages and interruptions, and maintaining grain market order; improving the grain emergency guarantee system, promptly handling emergencies, and ensuring emergency grain supply. Key assessment matters include guaranteeing grain market supply, improving regional grain market regulation mechanisms, strengthening grain situation monitoring and early warning, and cultivating and developing new types of grain market entities.

In ensuring grain quality and safety, the assessment content includes strengthening prevention and control of cultivated land pollution, improving grain quality and safety inspection and monitoring capacity and the capacity to dispose of grain exceeding standards, and prohibiting grain that does not meet food safety standards from entering the grain ration market. Key assessment matters include strengthening source control and improving the grain quality and safety supervision and guarantee system.