Farmland protection must be as strict as protecting the giant panda
For a large country like ours with a population of 1.3 billion, food security is always the top priority in governance and administration, and the strategic position of food security in the overall situation of national economic and social development must never be shaken at any time. The Central Rural Work Leading Group Office, the Ministry of Land and Resources, and the Ministry of Agriculture jointly held a video conference on the 26th on strengthening farmland protection, improving the balance of occupied and supplemented farmland, and standardizing rural land transfers. Minister of Land and Resources Jiang Daming and Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu provided relevant interpretations on rural land policy issues of current widespread concern.
There must be absolutely no mishap in farmland protection; the red lines for both the quantity and quality of farmland must be “both in place”
At present, we must deeply understand and grasp the strategic nature of the important thesis that farmland is our country's most precious resource. We must implement the strictest farmland protection system and protect farmland as we protect the giant panda.
Jiang Daming stated that farmland is the fundamental guarantee of national food security and the foundation and lifeline of agricultural development and agricultural modernization. The basic national condition of having many people and little land determines the special importance and strategic nature of our country's farmland resources. Farmland is the cornerstone of rural reform and development and an important space for production, living, and ecology. Farmland protection is directly related to the vital interests of the broad masses of farmers, to the construction of ecological civilization, to the sustained and healthy development of the economy and society, and to the long-term stability and security of the country. The strategic positioning of farmland as our country's most precious resource determines that we must implement the strictest farmland protection system.
From the results of the Second National Land Survey, although the data on farmland area have increased somewhat, the actual farmland used for grain production has not increased. The basic national condition of low per capita farmland, generally low farmland quality, and insufficient reserve farmland resources has not changed. As our country's population increases and the level of urbanization rises, the demand for grain and agricultural and sideline products places ever higher requirements on improving the comprehensive production capacity of farmland. Industrialization and urbanization will inevitably occupy a certain amount of farmland, and returning farmland to forest, grassland, and wetlands will also require gradually reducing a portion of unstable farmland. At present and for some time to come, farmland protection faces multiple pressures, and the situation remains severe. We must clearly recognize the arduousness, complexity, and long-term nature of the task of farmland protection. On the issue of strictly guarding the farmland red line, there must be absolutely no mishap, and we must never make subversive mistakes.
The strictest farmland protection must achieve “both in place” for the red lines of farmland quantity and quality. Jiang Daming emphasized that to implement the strictest farmland protection system in accordance with laws and regulations and without compromise, comprehensive measures are needed in areas such as improving institutions, perfecting mechanisms, and strengthening supervision. It is necessary to strengthen planning control and use regulation and resolutely hold the farmland protection red line. It is necessary to promote economical and intensive land use and strive to reduce the occupation of farmland by newly added construction land. It is necessary to strictly implement the balance of occupied and supplemented farmland and ensure that both the quantity and quality of supplemented farmland are “both in place.” It is necessary to promote land consolidation and focus on strengthening constructive protection of farmland. It is necessary to improve constraint and incentive mechanisms and mobilize the enthusiasm of all sectors of society to strictly protect farmland. It is necessary to accelerate the designation of permanent basic farmland to achieve permanent protection and sustainable use, and also strengthen the protection and construction of farmland quality to achieve dual improvements in quality and productivity.
Strengthen the management of the balance of occupied and supplemented farmland, and resolutely eliminate the practices of occupying more and supplementing less, occupying superior land and supplementing inferior land, and occupying paddy fields and supplementing dry land
The policy of balancing occupied and supplemented farmland is a remedial measure for the continuous expansion of farmland occupied by industrialization and urbanization. In accordance with the requirements of the strictest farmland protection system, the standardized management of the balance of occupied and supplemented farmland must be strengthened in accordance with the law.
Jiang Daming said that whether there is a strong awareness of farmland protection directly affects the effectiveness of the balance of occupied and supplemented farmland. It must be fully recognized that although economic development has entered a new normal, the occupation of farmland by economic construction is still unavoidable. By implementing the balance of occupied and supplemented farmland system and effectively supplementing farmland of equivalent quantity and quality, this is a positive remedy for occupied farmland and is crucial to holding the farmland red line. Strictly implementing the balance of occupied and supplemented farmland system can, to the greatest extent, ensure that construction projects do not occupy farmland or occupy less of it, form a constraint mechanism for occupying farmland and a reverse pressure mechanism for economical and intensive land use, and promote the transformation of the economic development model through the transformation of the land use model. It is necessary to truly shoulder the primary responsibility, adopt active and effective measures, strengthen source control, strengthen process supervision, and resolutely prevent problems of insufficient quantity and quality of supplemented farmland, and resolutely eliminate the phenomena of occupying more and supplementing less, occupying superior land and supplementing inferior land, and occupying paddy fields and supplementing dry land.
Regarding new situations and new problems in the balance of occupied and supplemented farmland and in farmland protection, it is necessary to strengthen investigation and research and propose effective responses. Jiang Daming said that developing in the course of protection and protecting in the course of development is the basic principle of resource utilization. Occupying less farmland and achieving greater economic benefits unifies economic development and farmland protection.
Explore suitable scale management, but do not one-sidedly pursue transfer speed and oversized-scale management
Standardizing land transfer and moderate-scale management is the only way to develop modern agriculture and the basic direction for advancing rural land system reform. Han Changfu stated that land transfer should follow the “eight phrases”: “separation of three rights, confirmation and registration, orderly transfer, moderate scale, family foundation, farmers' voluntariness, agricultural land for agricultural use, and encouragement of grain cultivation.” It is necessary to resolutely hold the three bottom lines of not changing the nature of public ownership of land, not breaking through the farmland red line, and not harming farmers' interests, adhere to the principles of legality, voluntariness, compensation, and agricultural land for agricultural use, fully respect farmers' principal position, actively give play to the role of the market, and truly make farmers active participants in and beneficiaries of land transfer and scale management.
Scale management of agriculture can take many forms. In addition to land transfer, the level of organization and scale can also be improved through developing cooperation and collaboration among farming households and agricultural socialized services. All localities should make targeted efforts to increase policy guidance and support, continuously explore suitable forms of scale management, and stimulate the enthusiasm of the broad masses of farmers and new types of business entities to develop agricultural production, especially grain production.
In recent years, with the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization and the rapid advancement of modern agriculture, large numbers of various new types of agricultural business entities have emerged, and the transfer of contracted land management rights by farming households has clearly accelerated.
Han Changfu said that the rural land contracting relationship is generally stable, but some tendentious and nascent problems have also appeared. Some localities are keen on administrative promotion and one-sidedly pursue transfer speed and oversized-scale management. After some industrial and commercial capital entered agriculture, they directly leased farmland on a large scale for long periods, competing with farmers for profits. In some cases, poor management has already appeared, harming farmers' interests, triggering social conflicts, and affecting social stability. In still other cases, after transferring land, non-agricultural construction was even carried out, damaging farmland resources. Last year, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the "Opinions on Guiding the Orderly Transfer of Rural Land Management Rights and Developing Moderate-Scale Agricultural Management," and this year central leading comrades made special instructions and put forward clear requirements. It is necessary to strictly implement the spirit of the central authorities, actively and steadily advance reform, and avoid half-cooked measures, preventing small problems from becoming big problems.