By the end of 2014, China had 55,000 specialized villages of various types
On September 22, the Ministry of Agriculture held a national "One Village, One Product" experience exchange and village-enterprise matchmaking event in Tongchuan, Shaanxi, to summarize and exchange practices and experience in developing "One Village, One Product," analyze the new situation and new requirements facing its development, and study policy measures for advancing its development. Vice Minister of Agriculture Chen Xiaohua attended and stressed the need to deepen the advancement of "One Village, One Product" and further promote agricultural transformation and upgrading and help farmers increase their incomes and become better off.
Chen Xiaohua pointed out that in recent years, with the strong promotion of departments at all levels, China's "One Village, One Product" program has maintained good momentum of rapid development. As of the end of 2014, specialized villages of various types across the country reached 55,000, and the per capita net income of farmers was 11,673 yuan, 18% higher than the national per capita net income of farmers in 2014. As an effective model for agricultural and rural economic development, "One Village, One Product" has played a unique and important role in promoting the development of distinctive modern agriculture, accelerating rural economic prosperity, advancing poverty alleviation and prosperity, developing county-level economies, and promoting farmer employment and income growth. Developing "One Village, One Product" is a vivid embodiment of China's mass entrepreneurship and innovation in rural areas.
Chen Xiaohua stressed that as China's economy enters a new normal, reform enters deep-water areas, and economic and social development enters a new stage, it is necessary to accurately grasp the new situation and new requirements facing the development of "One Village, One Product," update development concepts, seize development opportunities, and accelerate the development process. At present and for a period to come, developing "One Village, One Product" should take building distinctive modern agriculture as the main line, agricultural efficiency and farmer income growth as the goals, the market as the guide, science and technology and talent as the support, and distinctive industries as the main direction; rely on resource and locational advantages; give full play to farmers' principal role and the driving role of new types of business entities; promote the development of agricultural specialization, scale and branding; cultivate specialized villages and towns; and achieve strong villages and prosperous farmers. Strive to ensure that by the end of the “13th Five-Year Plan” period, more villages and towns will have more prominent leading industries, more obvious brand advantages, more dynamic rural economies, and better-off farmers.
Chen Xiaohua required that the next step in advancing the development of "One Village, One Product" should achieve the “five strengthenings”: first, strengthen organizational leadership and consolidate the development foundation; second, strengthen policy support and optimize the development environment; third, strengthen market guidance and raise the development level; fourth, strengthen publicity and promotion and create a development atmosphere; fifth, strengthen intellectual support and enhance development momentum.
Shaanxi, Beijing, Zhejiang, Shandong and Sichuan gave typical speeches at the event. The event issued certificates to the fifth batch of national "One Village, One Product" demonstration villages and towns, and unveiled the plaque for Maju Village, Shizhu Town, Yaozhou District, Tongchuan City, which received the title of national "One Village, One Product" demonstration village. Delegates also conducted on-site inspections of Shaanxi's "One Village, One Product" specialized villages.