Risk management should be the top priority in the farming industry

In recent years, the central and local governments at all levels have continuously increased support, and the livestock industry has achieved leapfrog development, making positive contributions to the sustained increase of farmers' incomes and the sound and rapid economic and social development. However, due to weak awareness of laws and regulations and relatively lagging risk management, the incidence of animal diseases is relatively high in some places, which has restricted the pace of development of the livestock industry. In fact, livestock and poultry farming involves technical risks, feed risks, capital risks, disease risks, environmental risks, market risks and so on. If farms (households) do not handle them properly and promptly, it is very easy for them to suffer economic losses.

“Farming has risks, investment requires caution.” When developing livestock and poultry farming, farms (households) should pay special attention to risk prevention and should take strengthening risk management as the “top priority” in developing livestock and poultry farming.

First, a concept of risk management must be established. Farms (households) should strengthen their awareness of risk management, adopt effective measures, predict risk categories in advance, and scientifically avoid all kinds of risks, so as to lay a solid foundation for achieving the “maximization” of economic, ecological and social benefits.

Second, the risk management system must be improved. In recent years, the state and local governments at all levels have successively issued a number of laws and regulations, which have played an important role in reducing the risks of livestock and poultry farming. If farms (households) want to become bigger and stronger, they must, in accordance with relevant laws and regulations and in light of their own actual conditions and development, further scientifically improve relevant systems such as the internal risk monitoring system, risk early warning system, risk assessment system, risk materials support system, risk personnel management system and risk disposal system, and truly focus on catching problems “early” and while they are “small”, take practical measures, and reduce all kinds of risks to the lowest possible level.

Third, risk management measures must be strictly implemented. In recent years, with the accelerated transformation of the economic development model, social management model and people's way of life, the public has had more expectations for livestock and poultry farming. Therefore, doing a good job in risk management for livestock and poultry farming carries greater responsibility and more far-reaching significance. First, it is necessary to implement a unified-command leadership mechanism for risk management, aimed at making decisions and mobilizing resources quickly and efficiently, reducing management links, reducing the occurrence of buck-passing, saving management costs and improving management efficiency. This mechanism should strictly implement the administrative leadership responsibility system, with other departments and personnel each fulfilling their duties and each taking responsibility. Second, it is necessary to implement a risk management supervision mechanism. Farms (households) should adopt a supervision mechanism combining regular supervision and irregular supervision to ensure the smooth progress of all work. Third, it is necessary to implement a risk management reward and punishment mechanism. Risk management must be clear about rewards and punishments and must deliver on them. Units and individuals that make outstanding contributions in risk management should be commended and rewarded; those who fail to perform their duties and cause losses should have the responsibility of leaders and responsible persons pursued according to the circumstances.