Minister of Agriculture: We must steadily advance the capitalization of agricultural reclamation land resources

Recently, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council officially issued the "Opinions on Further Advancing the Reform and Development of Agricultural Reclamation" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"). Han Changfu, Minister of Agriculture, accepted an interview with reporters on issues related to the reform and development of agricultural reclamation. He stated that to advance the reform and development of agricultural reclamation, work must be done on the land, the state-owned land of agricultural reclamation must be well managed, well protected and well utilized, and the capitalization and assetization of agricultural reclamation land resources must be steadily advanced.

Han Changfu pointed out that agricultural reclamation reform has the dual characteristics of both state-owned enterprise reform and agricultural and rural reform, and must be steadily advanced according to the principles of overall coordination, addressing both symptoms and root causes, linkage between upper and lower levels, and combining point and surface. It is necessary to adhere to the direction of socialist market economy reform, take ensuring national food security and the effective supply of important agricultural products as the core in development, and take advancing the corporatization of farms and the groupization reform of reclamation areas as the main line in reform. It is necessary to always adhere to putting agriculture first, focus on developing appropriately scaled operations, ensure the preservation and appreciation of state-owned capital, amplify the functions of state-owned capital, and strictly prevent the loss of state-owned resources and assets. Efforts must be made to build agricultural reclamation into the national team for ensuring national food security and the effective supply of important agricultural products, a demonstration zone for new-type agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics, a vanguard of agricultural foreign cooperation, and a stabilizer for securing borders and stabilizing territories. He emphasized that agricultural reclamation must unswervingly advance market-oriented reform and promote the rational allocation and efficient utilization of resource factors such as labor, assets and land. It is necessary to strictly manage, effectively protect and fully utilize the state-owned land of agricultural reclamation, steadily advance the process of land assetization and capitalization reform, and actively explore effective ways to revitalize agricultural reclamation land resources.

Han Changfu stated that agricultural reclamation consists of special enterprises; not only are the policies supporting state-owned enterprise reform applicable to agricultural reclamation, but various policies benefiting agriculture and policies for people's livelihood must also cover agricultural reclamation. The "Opinions" make clear that when local authorities lawfully formulate plans such as economic and social development plans, urban and rural plans, overall land use plans, new-type urbanization development plans and public service system plans, they must include agricultural reclamation therein and organize implementation simultaneously. Finance departments at all levels must, according to the management system of agricultural reclamation and the needs of reform and development, steadily increase funding input and fully include agricultural reclamation within the coverage of national policies for strengthening agriculture, benefiting farmers and enriching farmers and for improving people's livelihood.

⟦NL> He emphasized that agricultural reclamation reform must steadily advance the assetization and capitalization of agricultural reclamation land resources. Land is the most important means of production for agricultural reclamation; to advance the reform and development of agricultural reclamation, work must be done on the land, and the state-owned land of agricultural reclamation must be well managed, well protected and well utilized. Advancing the assetization and capitalization of agricultural reclamation land resources is an important avenue for deepening the corporatization of farms and the groupization reform of reclamation areas, and is of great significance for making the agricultural reclamation economy stronger, better and larger and for amplifying the functions of state-owned capital. The "Opinions" clearly stipulate that for agricultural reclamation enterprises such as wholly state-owned enterprises and wholly state-owned companies approved by governments at or above the provincial level to implement authorized operation of state-owned assets, the original production and operation-related state-owned allocated construction land and agricultural land they use may, upon approval, be disposed of by means of priced capital contribution (equity participation) or authorized operation. At the same time, the "Opinions" propose the orderly carrying out of pilot programs for mortgage and guarantee of state-owned agricultural land use rights of agricultural reclamation. This is one of the highlights of agricultural reclamation reform and innovation.