State Council General Office issues document to accelerate the transformation of agricultural development modes
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 7 (dispatch) - Recently, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Accelerating the Transformation of Agricultural Development Modes" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"). This is the first important document at the national level to systematically deploy work on transforming agricultural development modes.
The "Opinions" point out that in recent years China's agricultural and rural economic development has achieved tremendous results, providing strong support for sustained and healthy economic and social development. However, the various risks, challenges and structural contradictions facing agricultural development have also been accumulating and concentrating, and the pressure to coordinate the guarantee of supply, safety, ecology and income is becoming heavier and heavier, making it urgent to accelerate the transformation of agricultural development modes.
In terms of guiding ideology, the "Opinions" clearly take the transformation of agricultural development modes as the fundamental path for accelerating agricultural modernization at present and for a period to come, take the development of appropriately scaled agricultural operations in various forms as the core, take the building of a modern agricultural operation system, production system and industrial system as the focus, and strive to transform agricultural operation modes, production modes, resource utilization modes and management modes, promote the shift of agricultural development from mainly quantitative growth to equal emphasis on quantity, quality and efficiency, from mainly relying on input of material factors to relying on scientific and technological innovation and improvement of the quality of laborers, and from extensive operations dependent on resource consumption to sustainable development, so as to take a modern agricultural development path featuring efficient output, safe products, resource conservation and environmental friendliness. The "Opinions" propose that by 2020, positive progress should be made in transforming agricultural development modes; by 2030, remarkable results should be achieved in transforming agricultural development modes.
In terms of key tasks, the "Opinions" systematically deploy seven areas of key tasks centering on the key fields and weak links in transforming agricultural development modes. First, enhance grain production capacity and raise the level of grain security guarantee; second, innovate agricultural operation modes and extend the agricultural industrial chain; third, deeply advance agricultural structural adjustment and promote coordinated development of crop farming and livestock raising; fourth, improve resource utilization efficiency and fight the tough battle of controlling agricultural non-point source pollution; fifth, strengthen agricultural scientific and technological innovation and raise the level of scientific and technological equipment and the quality of laborers; sixth, raise the quality and safety level of agricultural products and ensure “food safety”; seventh, strengthen international agricultural cooperation and coordinate the two markets and two resources at home and abroad.
In terms of promotion measures, the "Opinions" put forward a series of targeted policies and measures. For example, to enhance grain production capacity, it proposes to implement actions to protect and improve cultivated land quality and explore the establishment of grain production functional zones. To innovate agricultural operation modes, it proposes to study reforming the agricultural subsidy system so that subsidy funds tilt toward grain-growing farmers and new agricultural operation entities such as family farms; and to guide the establishment and improvement of a government-financed agricultural credit guarantee system nationwide. To advance agricultural structural adjustment, it proposes to support ecological composite planting suited to local conditions. To improve resource utilization efficiency, it proposes to implement a zero-growth action for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, launch demonstration projects for resource utilization of agricultural waste, and so on. These solid policies and measures will provide tangible handles for accelerating the transformation of agricultural development modes.
The "Opinions" require that all localities and departments raise their understanding of the importance, complexity and long-term nature of transforming agricultural development modes, formulate specific implementation plans, strengthen departmental collaboration, and vigorously implement the work, so as to ensure that the work of transforming agricultural development modes achieves real results and push modern agricultural development to a new level.