Develop modern agriculture tailored to local conditions to consolidate the agricultural foundation of the Yangtze River Economic Belt
The Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee pointed out that agriculture is the foundation for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and achieving modernization, and that efforts must be vigorously made to advance agricultural modernization. The Yangtze River Economic Belt is an important grain-producing region of China, with 6 provinces that are major grain-producing areas; the total output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery accounts for 40% of the national total, and rice output accounts for 65% of the national total. The Yangtze River Economic Belt is rich in agricultural resources, has obvious advantages in agricultural infrastructure, and has a relatively good agricultural foundation, holding an important position in safeguarding China's food security. Making good use of the agricultural resources of the Yangtze River Basin and raising the level of modern agricultural development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt plays a foundational role in advancing the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
To raise the level of modern agricultural development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the precious agricultural resources of the Yangtze River Basin must be protected and used well. The abundant and high-quality agricultural resources of the Yangtze River Economic Belt are favorable conditions for developing modern agriculture, but for a period of time, excessive reclamation, deforestation, soil erosion, pollution of water bodies and farmland, and pollution from agricultural waste have confronted agricultural development with severe resource and environmental constraints. Only by solving the resource and environmental problems can modern agricultural development be safeguarded. Efforts should focus on controlling pollution in the Yangtze River and treating polluting enterprises; controlling agricultural production pollution and promoting bio-organic fertilizers; strengthening the management of agricultural irrigation water, promoting water-saving technologies, and reasonably adjusting agricultural water prices; implementing the environmental impact assessment system for large-scale livestock and poultry breeding, and turning livestock and poultry manure into resources. At the same time, legal system building should be strengthened, and the research, development and application of environmental protection technologies should be promoted, so as to provide legal guarantees and technical support for environmental protection. On this basis, according to the actual conditions and development advantages of the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and tailored to local conditions, agricultural advantage industrial belts, characteristic industrial belts and high-level modern agriculture demonstration zones should be built in major agricultural production areas to promote modern agricultural development.
The upper reaches of the Yangtze River Economic Belt are mostly mountainous with grasslands and forest land, so priority can be given to developing characteristic ecological agriculture represented by grass-eating livestock husbandry, and relying on natural ecology and ethnic minority customs to develop leisure agriculture and rural tourism. The upper reaches of the Yangtze River Economic Belt are an ecological protection barrier for the Yangtze River Basin, so rational development should be carried out on the premise of protecting forest land and grassland; in conjunction with returning farmland to forest and the construction of forestry bases, priority should be given to developing organic livestock husbandry, creating green brands, and combining ecological protection with organic agricultural development. More than 40 ethnic minorities live in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and their customs and cultures are relatively well preserved. The advantages of ethnic minority culture and natural landscapes can be fully used to develop rural tourism and leisure agriculture.
⟦NL> The middle reaches of the Yangtze River Economic Belt are rich in cultivated land and water resources, so the level of agricultural mechanization can be further raised, appropriately scaled agriculture can be developed, modern agriculture can be advanced, and a core grain production zone and advantageous zones for major agricultural products can be built. The middle reaches of the Yangtze River Economic Belt are a major grain-producing region of China, but the plains are relatively densely populated and per capita land resources are insufficient, leading to fragmented land operation, making it difficult to promote mechanized farming and limiting increases in farmers' incomes. In response, the land transfer system should be improved and appropriately scaled operation should be developed; investment in agricultural infrastructure and agricultural machinery should be strengthened, the level of agricultural production equipment should be raised, and labor productivity and land output rates should be increased; policy support for major grain-producing areas should be strengthened, and farmers' enthusiasm for engaging in agricultural production should be raised; cultivated land should be strictly protected, and standardized management of the balance between occupation and compensation of cultivated land should be strengthened in accordance with the law to build high-standard farmland; the agricultural industry chain should be extended, agricultural industrialization should be advanced, and the added value of agricultural products should be increased.
The lower reaches of the Yangtze River Economic Belt are dense in capital, technology and talent resources, so on the premise of stabilizing grain production, priority can be given to developing efficient, high-quality agriculture and urban agriculture, and accelerating standardized production and intensive, branded operation. Emphasis should be placed on attracting high-quality professional talent into the agricultural sector and cultivating new-type farmers, while strengthening the extension of agricultural science and technology and raising the scientific and technological level of agricultural production; encouraging land transfer and developing appropriately scaled operation; guiding industrial and commercial capital to engage in agricultural operation on the premise of strengthening supervision and guarding against risks; deepening the reform of supply and marketing cooperatives and improving the agricultural social service system; formulating agricultural production standards and safeguarding the quality and safety of agricultural products; and innovating the development and management system of urban agriculture, enhancing the ecological and service functions of agriculture, providing an ecological barrier for cities and leisure places for residents.
(Author's affiliation: Wuhan University)