How can we cultivate and strengthen the ranks of rural brokers?

Rural brokers refer to people who broker deals or directly organize agricultural product transactions in the rural circulation sector. At present, the ranks of rural brokers do not meet the requirements of urban and rural economic development, and to varying degrees there are problems such as unbalanced development, small broker scale, few large brokers, lack of capital, and backward trading methods. Building the ranks of rural brokers is a systematic project with a large workload and wide scope, and measures in multiple areas should be taken to advance it.

First, strengthen training for rural brokers and improve their quality. Governments at all levels and agriculture-related departments should make full use of various resources to help rural brokers master the necessary knowledge of law, agricultural product marketing, and brokerage business, enhance their awareness of law-abiding and honest operation, and improve their overall quality.

Second, improve institutional measures for cultivating and regulating rural brokers. For farmers engaged in seasonal short-term agricultural product brokerage business, a “zero threshold” for entry may be adopted, with free license processing and exemption from taxes and fees. Support and guide farmers in establishing rural brokerage partnerships, rural brokerage cooperatives, rural brokerage companies, and other organizations. Support rural brokerage organizations in expanding the scope of brokerage reach, and guide rural brokers to carry out specialty brokerage and brand brokerage. Persist in combining the development of rural brokers with the development of urban and rural individual and private economies, adopt measures such as entry first and training later, and development first and regulation later, to actively support and vigorously advance the cultivation and development of rural brokers.

Third, guide rural brokers in establishing self-regulatory organizations and formulating development plans. Relevant departments should effectively organize rural brokers to establish self-regulatory organizations and improve their degree of organization. Help rural broker self-regulatory organizations establish channels for mutual communication between the government and brokers, and between brokers and brokers. Through self-regulatory organizations, carry out consultations on laws, regulations, and policies, transmit market information, conduct self-management of brokerage conduct, and safeguard the lawful rights and interests of rural brokers.

Fourth, implement a credit classification management system and crack down on illegal operations. In particular, carefully clean up unlicensed and unregistered rural brokers, actively guide them to shift from “underground” to lawful operation, intensify the investigation and handling of illegal and non-compliant acts by rural brokers who use false information to harm farmers' interests, severely crack down on illegal business acts such as unlicensed underground brokerage, fraud, and forced buying and selling, and safeguard the lawful rights and interests of rural brokers.