Accelerating Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation During the 13th Five-Year Plan to Raise the Level of Innovation
Vice Minister of Agriculture Zhang Taolin emphasized at the 2015 China Modern Agriculture Development Forum
Accelerate agricultural science and technology innovation during the “13th Five-Year Plan” and improve the efficiency of agricultural science and technology innovation
On November 20-21, the 2015 China Modern Agriculture Development Forum was held in Beijing. Vice Minister of Agriculture and President of the Chinese Agricultural Society Zhang Taolin emphasized at the forum that during the “13th Five-Year Plan” period, China's agricultural science and technology development must be based on national and agricultural conditions, seize the major opportunities of the country's implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy and the advancement of “mass entrepreneurship and innovation”, implement the strategic deployment of the central government's science and technology management reform, adjust the direction and priorities of agricultural science and technology development, and focus on improving the efficiency of agricultural science and technology innovation.
Zhang Taolin pointed out that during the “12th Five-Year Plan” period, China's modern agriculture construction was accelerated, and agricultural science and technology made important contributions. Improved varieties of major crops, especially grain crops, basically achieved full coverage, grain yield per mu increased to 359 kg, the comprehensive mechanization level of cultivation, planting and harvesting of major crops exceeded 61%, and the contribution rate of agricultural science and technology progress reached 56%, becoming a decisive force in the development of modern agriculture. It can be said that China's agricultural science and technology achievements have attracted worldwide attention. Despite remarkable achievements, China's agricultural development still faces many challenges, and the internal and external environment is also undergoing profound adjustments. Development conditions, comparative advantages, and organizational methods have all undergone major changes, which have put forward new and higher requirements for agricultural science and technology innovation.
⟦NL> Zhang Taolin emphasized that during the “13th Five-Year Plan” period, China's agricultural science and technology development must accelerate the transformation from focusing on land output rate to combining land output rate, labor productivity and resource utilization rate, and pay more attention to the transformation of resource utilization rate; from focusing on grain agriculture to combining grain agriculture with grain, cash crop and feed and big food agriculture research; from focusing on mid-production research to research covering the entire process of production site, mid-production, product quality and safety, and post-production storage, transportation and processing, and also explore the transformation from “agriculture” to “agriculture+”. In order to accelerate agricultural science and technology innovation during the “13th Five-Year Plan”, in addition to adjusting the direction and priorities of agricultural science and technology development, it is also necessary to expand the fields of agricultural science and technology innovation, optimize the layout of agricultural science and technology resources, improve agricultural science and technology management, and strengthen agricultural science and technology forces. At the same time, it is necessary to build a modern agricultural science and technology innovation and extension system, strengthen coordinated agricultural science and technology innovation, improve the level of transformation and application of agricultural technology, accelerate the building of agricultural science and technology talent teams, and create a good development environment.