Notice on the Organization and Implementation of the 2017 Cultivated Land Quality Improvement Project in Shandong Province

To the Agriculture Bureaus (Agriculture Committees), Finance Bureaus, and Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Bureaus of all cities:

In order to fully implement the "Shandong Province Cultivated Land Quality Improvement Plan (2014-2020)," raise the level of cultivated land quality in our province, and enhance the capacity for sustainable agricultural development, after study, it has been decided to continue organizing and implementing the cultivated land quality improvement project in 2017. The relevant matters concerning project implementation are hereby notified as follows:

I. Determination of Project Counties

In accordance with the requirements of the Notice on Organizing Applications for Reserve Projects for Cultivated Land Quality Improvement in Shandong Province (Lu Nong Cai Zi [2016] No. 57) issued by the Provincial Department of Agriculture and the Provincial Department of Finance, and based on financial budget arrangements and the review opinions of experts on reserve projects, after study, it has been determined that the cultivated land quality improvement project will be implemented in 34 counties (cities, districts) in 2017 (see Attachment 1 for the list and investment scale).

II. Project Implementation Procedures

(1) Preparation of Implementation Plans

The agriculture, animal husbandry, and finance departments of the project counties shall, in accordance with the construction goals, conditions for implementing entities, scope of use of provincial subsidy funds, and subsidy standards set forth in Document Lu Nong Cai Zi [2016] No. 57, and on the basis of the earlier reserve projects, fully communicate with the implementing entities in accordance with the review opinions on the reserve project proposals, and carefully prepare implementation plans (refer to Attachment 6 for the outline). In accordance with the principles of “overall planning, highlighting key points, diversified investment, and performance assessment,” the project implementation area, implementing entities, construction content, fund estimates, and safeguard measures shall be clearly defined to ensure project implementation results.

(2) Approval Procedures. After the project implementation plans are submitted to the agriculture, animal husbandry and veterinary, and finance departments of each city for preliminary review, they shall be separately submitted to the relevant provincial industry management units for review. Based on the provincial review opinions, the project counties shall revise and improve the implementation plans and fund estimate tables, and after joint approval by the agriculture, animal husbandry and veterinary, and finance departments of each city, they shall be submitted to the Provincial Department of Agriculture, the Provincial Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Bureau, and the Provincial Department of Finance for filing and archiving. The provincial review opinions and municipal project approval documents will serve as important bases for project spot checks and evaluations.

Division of responsibilities among the industry management units for each project: the Provincial Soil and Fertilizer General Station is responsible for the soil improvement and remediation project; the Provincial Plant Protection General Station is responsible for the pesticide residue treatment project; the Ecological Agriculture Division of the Provincial Department of Agriculture is responsible for the comprehensive utilization of straw project; the Provincial Agricultural Environmental Protection and Rural Energy General Station is responsible for the plastic film pollution prevention and control project and the heavy metal pollution remediation project; the Provincial Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Bureau is responsible for the livestock and poultry manure treatment project.

(3) Fund Disbursement

The provincial finance department will allocate subsidy funds to cities in blocks, and each city shall promptly pass the subsidy funds down to the project counties. The project counties shall, in accordance with relevant state treasury management requirements, promptly put the subsidy funds in place according to construction progress to ensure smooth project implementation.

(4) Project Implementation. Each project county shall, in accordance with project approval requirements, promptly organize implementing entities to carry out project construction, strengthen project and fund management, and ensure construction progress and quality. The construction tasks shall be completed within one year from the date of project approval. After project completion, each city shall organize acceptance inspection, and the Provincial Department of Agriculture and the Provincial Department of Finance shall organize spot checks and performance evaluations.

III. Arrangements for Poverty Alleviation Projects

In accordance with the unified requirements of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government on poverty alleviation, apart from the heavy metal pollution treatment project, at least 20% of the funds for other projects shall be allocated to support poverty-stricken populations in escaping poverty. The provincial project fund subsidy standards used to help registered poor households escape poverty may be appropriately raised. For poor households that have already been registered as having escaped poverty, assistance shall continue during the poverty alleviation period to promote stable poverty escape.

Financial funds shall give priority to counties with relatively heavy poverty alleviation tasks and key villages for poverty alleviation work. In counties with relatively heavy poverty alleviation tasks, each farmers' cooperative receiving financial fund subsidies shall absorb at least 10 poor households into the cooperative and help them escape poverty. Agricultural enterprises in counties with poverty alleviation tasks that receive financial fund support shall all bear the responsibility of poverty alleviation, helping no fewer than 10 registered poor households or absorbing no fewer than 10 rural poor people for employment. Family farms in key villages for poverty alleviation work that receive financial fund subsidies shall pair up with and help at least 3 poor households escape poverty. Agricultural enterprises, farmers' cooperatives, family farms, and others that help key villages for poverty alleviation work and poor households shall all fill in the attached forms as required.

IV. Relevant Requirements

(1) Effectively strengthen organizational leadership. Cultivated land quality improvement is one of the key tasks deployed by the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government. The cities and counties where projects are located shall attach great importance to it, strengthen communication and contact with provincial industry management units, carefully prepare project implementation plans, and strictly organize project implementation as required. Each city shall guide the project counties in preparing, reviewing, approving, and managing project implementation plans. Each project county shall place cultivated land quality improvement on its important agenda, carefully study and formulate plans, and secure support funds. At the same time, it shall attach great importance to agricultural poverty alleviation work, increase the tilt of project funds toward villages with relatively concentrated poor populations, give priority to their use for helping poor populations escape poverty, and ensure the completion of the province's agricultural poverty alleviation tasks on schedule.

(2) Accelerate project construction progress. Each city and county shall promptly organize plan preparation, project approval, fund allocation, and project implementation, and shall set out a timetable for project construction progress to ensure completion of project construction tasks within the prescribed time. The timeliness of progress in all work will serve as an important indicator for provincial spot checks and performance evaluations.

(3) Strengthen project construction management. Industry management units at all levels and implementing entities shall strengthen communication and coordination, and strictly organize project approval, construction, and management as required. Various rules and regulations shall be established and improved, and fund disbursement and management shall be carried out strictly in accordance with regulations. The bidding and procurement of materials, works, and services required for the project shall be carried out properly, bidding and procurement methods shall be reasonably determined, bidding qualification conditions shall be standardized, and bid evaluation methods shall be scientifically selected. Supervision and inspection shall be strengthened, and the principal responsibility for project management shall be effectively borne. The province will organize technical guidance, supervision and inspection, and assessment spot checks for project construction. Where project implementation requirements are not met or major problems arise in project construction management, orders for rectification within a time limit, recovery of provincial funds, or suspension of subsequent project arrangements will be issued as appropriate.

Each city shall submit project implementation plans (including Attachments 2, 3, 4, and 5) to the respective industry management units before April 15, and complete project approval before May 15. The approval documents shall be submitted in 3 copies to the Provincial Department of Agriculture, 3 copies to the Provincial Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Bureau (for livestock and poultry manure treatment projects), and 3 copies to the Provincial Department of Finance, with electronic documents sent simultaneously to [email protected].

Provincial Department of Agriculture contact: Gao Xinlei, telephone: 0531-67866177

Provincial Department of Finance contact: Fan Cen, telephone: 0531-82669784

Provincial industry guidance contacts and telephone numbers:

Soil improvement and remediation project: Li Jianwei, 0531-81608040

Pesticide residue treatment project: Yu Xiaoqing, 0531-81608062

Comprehensive utilization of straw project: Gao Xinlei, 0531-67866177

Plastic film pollution prevention and control project: Wang Li, 0531-81608085

Livestock and poultry manure treatment project: Zhan Wangtao, 0531-87198985

Heavy metal pollution remediation project: Huang Xianmin, 0531-81608091