How to Build the Demonstration Zone into a Pioneer Zone for Modern Agricultural Development
From September 16 to 18, the Ministry of Agriculture held a training class in Huzhou, Zhejiang on the policy of replacing subsidies with awards for the National Modern Agriculture Demonstration Zones. Yang Shaopin, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Agriculture, stressed at the meeting that during the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, the work of the demonstration zones will shift to a new stage of attaching equal importance to construction and management. All demonstration zones should enhance their sense of responsibility and urgency in accelerating the construction of demonstration zones, further give play to the pioneering, trial-first, leading and driving roles of the demonstration zones, and organize and implement the policy of replacing subsidies with awards for the demonstration zones well.
It is reported that the National Modern Agriculture Demonstration Zones are a major measure of the Party Central Committee and the State Council to promote agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics. Since 2010, the Ministry of Agriculture has recognized 283 National Modern Agriculture Demonstration Zones nationwide in three batches, showing vigorous vitality and strong driving force. According to statistics, the total grain output of the 283 demonstration zones reached 474 billion jin, accounting for 39.3% of the country's total grain output; the comprehensive mechanization level of crop cultivation and harvesting reached 72.4%, 14 percentage points higher than the national average; and the per capita net income of farmers reached 11,300 yuan, 27% higher than the national average in the same period.
The meeting required that during the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, the work of the demonstration zones should be grasped with both hands: one hand on construction, and the other on management. In construction, emphasis should be placed on advancing infrastructure construction first, science and technology leadership first, reform and innovation first, sustainable development first, and structural adjustment first. In management, there should be a strong promoting institution, a pragmatic and effective plan, a main focus for promoting demonstration construction, a mechanism for fund integration, and an effective supervision and assessment system.
The policy of replacing subsidies with awards is a major policy innovation for financial support for modern agricultural development and the construction of demonstration zones, and is also a major measure to establish a mechanism for demonstration zones to learn from, compare with, catch up with, and surpass one another and to deepen agricultural reform and construction. Yang Shaopin required that all demonstration zones should organize and implement the policy of replacing subsidies with awards for the demonstration zones well. It is necessary to strengthen reform and innovation, use money well and on the most important priorities, and accelerate the pace of agricultural modernization; in the use of award funds and work deployment, all localities should accurately identify the key links restricting modern agricultural development, concentrate efforts, solve 1-2 key problems each year, and strive to achieve a batch of breakthrough results in about 3 years. It is necessary to actively study new policies and new measures under the new normal to support the construction of demonstration zones and modern agriculture, create policies, and increase support; it is necessary to summarize, promote and transform a batch of new achievements that suit actual development, are highly innovative and operable, and can be replicated and promoted, strengthen exchanges, and do a good job in publicity.
During the meeting, the Ministry of Agriculture also carried out a performance evaluation activity for agricultural reform and construction pilots. Twenty-five pilot demonstration zones reported and made presentations, experts scored and ranked them on site, and the pilot demonstration zones ranked at the bottom will be interviewed and supervised.