How should characteristic agriculture develop in the New Silk Road Economic Belt, and how should the government set the stage?
A recent study argues that agricultural development in the Silk Road Economic Belt must not blindly follow the old path of scaling up and homogenization, but should leverage local ecological advantages and cultural resources, combine internet thinking, modern marketing concepts and various new business models,
A recent study argues that agricultural development in the Silk Road Economic Belt must not blindly follow the old path of scaling up and homogenization, but should leverage local ecological advantages and cultural resources, combine internet thinking, modern marketing concepts and various new business models, and develop “New Silk Road characteristic agriculture.” This study, completed by the Pango Think Tank, compares the agricultural resources of the five northwestern provinces and the five Central Asian countries and analyzes the Silk Road Economic Belt region, thereby proposing that the government set the stage and establish a New Silk Road Economic Belt characteristic agriculture industry alliance along with a specific roadmap and other recommendations.
How should the government set the stage?
The aforementioned study argues that against the current backdrop of comprehensively deepening agricultural reform in our country, focusing support on agricultural development in the northwest region can not only boost local farmers' incomes but also reduce the emergence of social phenomena such as “hollow villages” and “left-behind children.”
“The five northwestern provinces possess abundant natural resources and cultural heritage. The environmental and ecological value and the diverse historical culture brought by these resources are unique and non-transferable. To develop agriculture, we should make full use of these resources and apply the new models, new tools and new methods emerging from the modern new economy, taking a differentiated path of characteristic agricultural development.” So argues the study.
Contemporary new characteristic agriculture is a combination of agriculture and new-type services. For example, traceable agricultural products, customized farms and agricultural e-commerce and other emerging agricultural business models can, on the one hand, increase the added value of agricultural products and help farmers increase their incomes; on the other hand, new service models can increase employment opportunities. Therefore, “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture is the key to solving the problem of backward agriculture in the northwest region.
Looking at the situation of the five northwestern provinces along the Silk Road Economic Belt, the researchers suggest that the government can strengthen construction and guidance in the following four aspects:
First, establish a “western agricultural products shipped east” rapid cold-chain logistics corridor and plan key node cities.
Most agricultural products generally require cold-chain logistics transportation. Many characteristic agricultural products, for lack of fresh-keeping cold-chain logistics corridors, rot during transport, and the logistics problem has become a major bottleneck for agricultural development in the northwest region. In our country, the proportion of fruits and vegetables, meat and aquatic products entering the cold-chain system is only 5%, 15% and 23%. In developed countries such as those in Europe and America and Japan, more than 95% of agricultural products enter cold-chain circulation. Therefore, our country's logistics industry has enormous room for development, and the government needs to vigorously support the development of the cold-chain logistics industry.
Second, guide investment in fresh-keeping storage facilities to strengthen farmers' bargaining power.
Farmers have long been in a weak position, lacking bargaining power mainly because they face enormous circulation pressure. If agricultural products cannot be sold once produced, they can only rot in the farmers' own hands. Farmers' interests are always squeezed by buyers, and their incomes never rise. The construction of fresh-keeping storage can greatly relieve circulation pressure and strengthen farmers' bargaining power, making it a truly practical project benefiting the people.
Third, vigorously develop efficient water-saving agriculture to protect the Silk Road ecology.
Because the entire Silk Road Economic Belt lies in the hinterland of the Eurasian continent, and in particular blocks the warm, moist air currents of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean (601099, stock bar), the region's climate is a typical continental climate, whose prominent features are: first, scarce rainfall and extreme dryness; second, abundant sunshine and high evaporation; third, drastic temperature changes. Water resources are scarce for all countries and regions along the New Silk Road Economic Belt, so it is imperative to vigorously develop efficient water-saving agriculture. It can be said that efficient water-saving agriculture is the guarantee for the sustainable development of agriculture in the Silk Road Economic Belt.
Fourth, lower the threshold to encourage entrepreneurship and activate the existing stock of human capital.
The reason the problems of the west have become a chronic ailment of our country for many years is mainly attributable to the conservative mindset and lack of vitality of local people. Most people along the Silk Road Economic Belt are still dominated by the mindset of a small-scale peasant economy and lack entrepreneurial spirit. The government should, by establishing entrepreneurial leaders and models of wealth creation, mobilize farmers' enthusiasm to explore new business methods, attract young people who have gone out to work to return home and start businesses, and provide corresponding material support and knowledge training, striving to activate the existing stock of human capital of the “Silk Road.”
Characteristic Agriculture Roadmap
Based on the agricultural resources possessed by Central Asia and our country's northwest region, the Pango Think Tank puts forward specific development recommendations for New Silk Road Economic Belt characteristic agriculture from multiple aspects including culture, institutional reform, innovation, protection and development of characteristics, connecting the economies along this economic belt with the world's currently fastest-growing and most promising markets, thereby enhancing regional cooperation and economic strength in these areas.
First, establish a “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture industry alliance.
Guided by the thinking of “government participation, market leadership,” establish a “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture industry alliance to gather entrepreneurial ideas, outstanding entrepreneurs and strategic industrial capital. Guide large capital with new thinking, and build big brands by supporting and incubating innovative enterprises. Strategically and from a high starting point and with high-profile efforts, build the “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture industry alliance as a major platform from the top down, thereby promoting agricultural innovation and development. This will also help resolve the current situation in which local governments each go their own way and erect barriers against one another.
Second, strengthen regional market functions and cultivate brand awareness among market entities.
Developing the Silk Road requires the strength of market entities, yet the northwest region precisely lacks brand awareness among market entities, generally presenting a pattern of being small, scattered, disorderly and weak. Support local small and micro enterprises with potential, bring in outstanding enterprises from developed regions to settle there, and let these outstanding market entities use modern management models to transform agriculture, making farms enterprise-like and farmers professional, thereby forming a sound agricultural industry ecological environment. On this basis, using leading enterprises in the industry chain (such as: New Hope) as benchmarks, rely on the mysterious culture of the Western Regions to jointly market the “Silk Road characteristic” brand and build a brand with a story, culture and resonance.
Third, develop Western Regions characteristics and deeply explore “Silk Road” heritage.
The ancient Silk Road left us many precious treasures, including high-quality agricultural product resources and rich farming culture. “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture should precisely focus on northwestern characteristics and explore these precious heritages. Taking the exploration of germplasm resources and cultural heritage as the entry point, make Silk Road agriculture distinctive in its own way.
Fourth, use new technologies to develop new models and provide all-round services for “agriculture, rural areas and farmers.”
The development of “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture must conform to the major trends of national industrial transformation and upgrading and the new economy, using new technologies and new models to innovate every aspect of the industry chain. Mobile internet e-commerce thinking is transforming agriculture on the sales and transaction ends with each passing day. From Ma Yun's recent visits to Xinjiang and Gansu, one can glimpse that the internet is accelerating its penetration into agriculture. “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture must actively embrace this major trend and strive to use internet cloud computing technology to rebuild the entire industry chain, so as to establish its own core advantages.
In addition, use smart IoT technology to explore lean agriculture, and based on large amounts of production, sales and other data, establish an agricultural big data center, setting “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture on the path of scientific production and precision marketing.
How should the government set the stage?
The aforementioned study argues that against the current backdrop of comprehensively deepening agricultural reform in our country, focusing support on agricultural development in the northwest region can not only boost local farmers' incomes but also reduce the emergence of social phenomena such as “hollow villages” and “left-behind children.”
“The five northwestern provinces possess abundant natural resources and cultural heritage. The environmental and ecological value and the diverse historical culture brought by these resources are unique and non-transferable. To develop agriculture, we should make full use of these resources and apply the new models, new tools and new methods emerging from the modern new economy, taking a differentiated path of characteristic agricultural development.” So argues the study.
Contemporary new characteristic agriculture is a combination of agriculture and new-type services. For example, traceable agricultural products, customized farms and agricultural e-commerce and other emerging agricultural business models can, on the one hand, increase the added value of agricultural products and help farmers increase their incomes; on the other hand, new service models can increase employment opportunities. Therefore, “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture is the key to solving the problem of backward agriculture in the northwest region.
Looking at the situation of the five northwestern provinces along the Silk Road Economic Belt, the researchers suggest that the government can strengthen construction and guidance in the following four aspects:
First, establish a “western agricultural products shipped east” rapid cold-chain logistics corridor and plan key node cities.
Most agricultural products generally require cold-chain logistics transportation. Many characteristic agricultural products, for lack of fresh-keeping cold-chain logistics corridors, rot during transport, and the logistics problem has become a major bottleneck for agricultural development in the northwest region. In our country, the proportion of fruits and vegetables, meat and aquatic products entering the cold-chain system is only 5%, 15% and 23%. In developed countries such as those in Europe and America and Japan, more than 95% of agricultural products enter cold-chain circulation. Therefore, our country's logistics industry has enormous room for development, and the government needs to vigorously support the development of the cold-chain logistics industry.
Second, guide investment in fresh-keeping storage facilities to strengthen farmers' bargaining power.
Farmers have long been in a weak position, lacking bargaining power mainly because they face enormous circulation pressure. If agricultural products cannot be sold once produced, they can only rot in the farmers' own hands. Farmers' interests are always squeezed by buyers, and their incomes never rise. The construction of fresh-keeping storage can greatly relieve circulation pressure and strengthen farmers' bargaining power, making it a truly practical project benefiting the people.
Third, vigorously develop efficient water-saving agriculture to protect the Silk Road ecology.
Because the entire Silk Road Economic Belt lies in the hinterland of the Eurasian continent, and in particular blocks the warm, moist air currents of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean (601099, stock bar), the region's climate is a typical continental climate, whose prominent features are: first, scarce rainfall and extreme dryness; second, abundant sunshine and high evaporation; third, drastic temperature changes. Water resources are scarce for all countries and regions along the New Silk Road Economic Belt, so it is imperative to vigorously develop efficient water-saving agriculture. It can be said that efficient water-saving agriculture is the guarantee for the sustainable development of agriculture in the Silk Road Economic Belt.
Fourth, lower the threshold to encourage entrepreneurship and activate the existing stock of human capital.
The reason the problems of the west have become a chronic ailment of our country for many years is mainly attributable to the conservative mindset and lack of vitality of local people. Most people along the Silk Road Economic Belt are still dominated by the mindset of a small-scale peasant economy and lack entrepreneurial spirit. The government should, by establishing entrepreneurial leaders and models of wealth creation, mobilize farmers' enthusiasm to explore new business methods, attract young people who have gone out to work to return home and start businesses, and provide corresponding material support and knowledge training, striving to activate the existing stock of human capital of the “Silk Road.”
Characteristic Agriculture Roadmap
Based on the agricultural resources possessed by Central Asia and our country's northwest region, the Pango Think Tank puts forward specific development recommendations for New Silk Road Economic Belt characteristic agriculture from multiple aspects including culture, institutional reform, innovation, protection and development of characteristics, connecting the economies along this economic belt with the world's currently fastest-growing and most promising markets, thereby enhancing regional cooperation and economic strength in these areas.
First, establish a “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture industry alliance.
Guided by the thinking of “government participation, market leadership,” establish a “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture industry alliance to gather entrepreneurial ideas, outstanding entrepreneurs and strategic industrial capital. Guide large capital with new thinking, and build big brands by supporting and incubating innovative enterprises. Strategically and from a high starting point and with high-profile efforts, build the “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture industry alliance as a major platform from the top down, thereby promoting agricultural innovation and development. This will also help resolve the current situation in which local governments each go their own way and erect barriers against one another.
Second, strengthen regional market functions and cultivate brand awareness among market entities.
Developing the Silk Road requires the strength of market entities, yet the northwest region precisely lacks brand awareness among market entities, generally presenting a pattern of being small, scattered, disorderly and weak. Support local small and micro enterprises with potential, bring in outstanding enterprises from developed regions to settle there, and let these outstanding market entities use modern management models to transform agriculture, making farms enterprise-like and farmers professional, thereby forming a sound agricultural industry ecological environment. On this basis, using leading enterprises in the industry chain (such as: New Hope) as benchmarks, rely on the mysterious culture of the Western Regions to jointly market the “Silk Road characteristic” brand and build a brand with a story, culture and resonance.
Third, develop Western Regions characteristics and deeply explore “Silk Road” heritage.
The ancient Silk Road left us many precious treasures, including high-quality agricultural product resources and rich farming culture. “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture should precisely focus on northwestern characteristics and explore these precious heritages. Taking the exploration of germplasm resources and cultural heritage as the entry point, make Silk Road agriculture distinctive in its own way.
Fourth, use new technologies to develop new models and provide all-round services for “agriculture, rural areas and farmers.”
The development of “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture must conform to the major trends of national industrial transformation and upgrading and the new economy, using new technologies and new models to innovate every aspect of the industry chain. Mobile internet e-commerce thinking is transforming agriculture on the sales and transaction ends with each passing day. From Ma Yun's recent visits to Xinjiang and Gansu, one can glimpse that the internet is accelerating its penetration into agriculture. “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture must actively embrace this major trend and strive to use internet cloud computing technology to rebuild the entire industry chain, so as to establish its own core advantages.
In addition, use smart IoT technology to explore lean agriculture, and based on large amounts of production, sales and other data, establish an agricultural big data center, setting “Silk Road characteristic” agriculture on the path of scientific production and precision marketing.