Vice Minister of Agriculture Yu Kangzhen: Prioritize Ecology to Advance Sustainable Development of Pastoral Areas
On August 24, Vice Minister of Agriculture Yu Kangzhen conducted a survey in Gonghe County and Huangyuan County of Qinghai Province on strengthening intellectual support for grassland ecological protection and construction and the transformation and development of grassland animal husbandry. He stressed that as long as we unswervingly adhere to the priority of ecology and take the path of grassland ecological animal husbandry featuring harmonious and win-win development of ecology, production and livelihood, harness both internal and external forces, make good and practical use of all grassland policies, and develop intensive modern grassland animal husbandry, the sustainable development of pastoral areas on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau will have broad prospects.
At Layihaima Village in Gonghe County, Yu Kangzhen's community-level contact point, he visited and inspected the local ecological animal husbandry professional cooperative, large-scale breeding farms and achievements exhibition of beautiful countryside construction, attended the intellectual service week activity held by the National Forage Industry Technology System and others, and held a discussion with local officials and herders.
Hua Bao, Party branch secretary of Layihaima Village, said: “From a problem village known far and wide to an advanced village known throughout the county, in just a few years, earth-shaking changes have taken place in the village. In the future, the village should accelerate the development of efficient modern animal husbandry, and also make great efforts in the secondary and tertiary industries, truly achieving increased income for the villagers while protecting grassland ecology.” Seeing the tremendous changes in the village in recent years and hearing Hua Bao's remarks, Yu Kangzhen was very pleased. He said that the village's development cannot be separated from the strong support and help of departments at all levels, but more importantly, it has a village “two committees” team that has ideas, ability and the courage to act, and the determination of the herders to work hard. He stressed that in future development, grassland ecological protection and construction must be firmly placed first, and by transforming the development mode of animal husbandry, vigorously developing grass-based animal husbandry, and fully leveraging the role of economic cooperative organizations such as professional cooperatives, integrated development of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries should be realized, promoting sustainable development of grasslands. At the same time, he required grassland and animal husbandry technology extension departments and research institutes at all levels to conscientiously base themselves on the reality of community-level grassland protection and construction and grassland animal husbandry development, highlight problem orientation, fully leverage their own advantages, and carry out regular intellectual services.
⟦NL> At the Danqing Forage Planting Professional Cooperative and the Sanjiang Yili Grass-Based Animal Husbandry Circular Industry Development Pilot in Shiyawan Village, Riyue Tibetan Township, Huangyuan County, Yu Kangzhen observed the bread grass production process and asked in detail about the economic and ecological benefits brought by forage planting. He stressed that vigorously developing grass-based animal husbandry and actively carrying out pilot projects of converting grain fields to forage are explicit requirements of this year's No. 1 Document, and are also important measures for the current transformation of agricultural and pastoral development modes and structural adjustment. All localities and departments should attach great importance, act actively, combine their own resource endowments, deeply tap the local potential for grass-based animal husbandry development, encourage various production and operation entities to participate, advance deep integration of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries, do a good job in experimental pilot work on grass-based animal husbandry and converting grain fields to forage, gradually summarize and promote successful experience and typical models of integrated planting, breeding and processing, and strive to open up new prospects for grass-based animal husbandry development.