How to solve the difficulty of selling grain? Developing high-quality grain production is an effective path
“The difficulty of selling grain” has become an indisputable reality in China today. Without the support of the minimum purchase price, grain market prices would remain in a persistently sluggish state.
In the quiet grain market, high-quality grain always stands out. With high-quality grain in hand, there is no worry that grain merchants will rush to buy it. To escape the predicament of “the difficulty of selling grain,” vigorously developing high-quality grain production is an effective path.
The integration of the international grain market is the general trend
Having joined the WTO, China has already integrated into the world economic integration.
In the big family of world economic integration, no member state can stand aside. As an important and special commodity closely tied to people's lives, grain certainly cannot remain aloof either.
One can imagine that in the future, if China draws on the successful experience of developed countries to implement a grain “target price,” farmers will lose the direct protection of grain purchase policy. If they still only keep their heads down farming and do not look up at the market, their grain will be unlikely to fetch a good price.
If the grain produced by Chinese farmers does not suit market demand, foreign grain will inevitably enter the domestic market. On the one hand, this will make it difficult for domestic grain-growing farmers to recover their production costs, causing them to lose enthusiasm for grain production, switch to other high-benefit crops, or even abandon their fields and let them lie fallow. On the other hand, the world's most populous country would face grain shortages and rely on the international market to supply grain. Yet the international market can supply only about 400 million tons of grain each year; if China purchased large quantities, not only would the quantity be insufficient, but it would also cause national grain prices to soar.
Producing high-quality grain that meets people's needs is a requirement for adapting to international economic integration, a requirement for farmers to increase production and harvests, and a requirement for safeguarding national stability and ensuring national security.
The continuous improvement of people's living standards cannot be underestimated
The new leadership collective of the state has already formulated a grand strategy for the new normal of economic development. It can be expected that the income level of the Chinese people will rise year by year.
Urban and rural residents who have bid farewell to the state of merely having enough food and clothing, as their income levels continue to rise, have higher-level demands for diet, especially for grain consumption.
In an era abundant with meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and non-staple foods, the broad masses of residents are reducing the quantity of grain they consume while setting higher requirements for quality.
High-quality grain that was both good-looking and good-tasting in the past is no longer any luxury in China today and in the future, but a daily necessity for the vast majority of residents.
In the market, Chinese fragrant rice, Huanghuazhan rice, Simiao rice, and others have become the rice of first choice for residents. Even Thai jasmine rice, once a fine gift item, has now entered ordinary households. Ordinary rice, by contrast, can only serve as “student rice” and “migrant worker rice,” at low prices.
Developing high-quality grain production, as a beneficial action that benefits both grain-growing farmers and urban and rural residents, is a systematic project requiring efforts from multiple sides. Governments at all levels, relevant departments, and the broad masses of farmers must work together and jointly advance it.
Government departments should strengthen guidance
Although China has already entered the information age, with radio, television, computers, mobile phones, and the internet almost everywhere, many reasons often leave farmers lagging in their response to the market.
During the planned economy period, agricultural production was highly centralized, and farmers planted grain according to government instructions; after the grain market was liberalized, farmers planted grain according to the minimum purchase price policy. The minimum purchase price policy sets purchase prices for major grain varieties without distinguishing between high quality and ordinary quality. For example, wheat, regardless of variety, is assigned the same price grade; early rice, mid-to-late indica rice, and japonica rice are likewise not graded, and as long as they are the same variety, they receive the same grade. Under such circumstances, farmers accustomed to this pay no attention to the market.
To change farmers' old habits, governments at all levels, especially agricultural departments in charge of agricultural production and grain departments in charge of grain circulation, should publish grain market information at the beginning of each year and in the key seasons for crop planting, so that farmers know which grain varieties sell well and which grain varieties should be phased out. Let farmers produce according to demand, with products suited to market demand.
Scientific research departments should strengthen tackling key problems
Whether grain is high quality or not depends crucially on seeds. Without high-quality seeds, it is impossible to grow high-quality grain.
Agricultural scientific research departments, agricultural universities and colleges, and other relevant units should make the research, testing, and promotion of high-quality grain varieties a top priority. They should concentrate excellent teams and outstanding talent, persistently tackle key scientific research problems, and continuously introduce new high-yield, high-quality grain varieties.
Against the backdrop of the vigorous development of new agricultural entities such as large grain-growing households, family farms, and farmers' professional cooperatives, agricultural scientific research departments, agricultural universities and colleges, and other departments should actively connect with them. The organic combination of production, learning, and research will accelerate the research and promotion of high-quality grain varieties.
The broad masses of farmers should adapt to the market
“Survival of the fittest” - Darwin's famous saying applies equally to grain production.
After China's grain purchase policy is adjusted, only if farmers adapt to the market will the grain they produce possibly win the market's favor. Only then can the labor they expend be rewarded, and social resources be effectively utilized.
To adapt to the market, farmers should always pay attention to radio, television, and newspapers, and analyze information about people's demand for grain varieties; they should use modern means such as mobile phones and computers to promptly learn about new developments in high-quality grain at home and abroad; they should, through multiple channels, master high-quality grain production techniques, use good seeds and good methods, obtain a good harvest, and sell at a good price; they should learn e-commerce techniques, so that sitting at home they can sell grain products to domestic and international markets and obtain greater economic benefits.