Overall climatic conditions in China are poor during this year's flood season, with droughts and floods expected to be more severe

At present, China is entering the flood season successively from south to north, and agricultural flood control and drought relief has entered a critical stage. On May 12, the Ministry of Agriculture held a meeting of the flood control and drought relief leading group to study and implement the spirit of the important speech by Vice Premier Wang Yang at the first plenary meeting of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters in 2015, analyze this year's agricultural flood control and drought relief situation, and deploy disaster prevention and reduction work. Yu Xinrong, Vice Minister of Agriculture and head of the Ministry's flood control and drought relief leading group, stressed that agricultural departments at all levels must, with a high degree of self-awareness and the courage to take responsibility, unremittingly do a good job in disaster prevention and reduction, plan early, respond scientifically, strengthen responsibility, and vigorously ensure implementation, so as to gain the initiative for achieving the goals of stabilizing grain output and increasing income and for transforming the agricultural development model.

Yu Xinrong pointed out that actively adapting to the new normal of economic development requires strengthening disaster prevention and reduction to ensure a bumper harvest and to bolster confidence in dealing with a complex economic situation. Achieving the goals of stabilizing grain output and increasing income and advancing structural adjustment and mode transformation also require doing a good job in disaster prevention and reduction and seizing the initiative. Overall climatic conditions in China are poor during this year's flood season, and droughts and floods will be more severe than last year. In particular, the El Nino event is still continuing at present, and "floods in the south and drought in the north" may occur in summer, making the task of agricultural disaster prevention and reduction extremely arduous. We must firmly establish the idea of fighting disasters to win a bumper harvest, and with a high degree of self-awareness and the courage to take responsibility, unremittingly do a good job in all aspects of disaster prevention and reduction, effectively reduce the impact of disasters, and ensure the safety of agricultural production.

Yu Xinrong required that agricultural departments at all levels firmly adhere to the goals of stabilizing grain output and increasing income without wavering, intensify their work, strengthen guidance and services, and solidly advance the implementation of disaster prevention and reduction measures. First, responsibilities must be clarified early. Strengthen coordination, cooperate closely, effectively perform duties, and ensure that responsibilities are assigned to specific persons and measures are in place. Second, plans must be prepared early. Organize experts to formulate and improve disaster prevention and reduction plans, and make early technical and material preparations for different regions and different types of disasters. Third, measures must be implemented early. Pay close attention to major weather changes, give play to the role of information technologies such as remote sensing and the Internet of Things, promptly grasp soil moisture, crop conditions, and disaster conditions, release early warning information in a timely manner, and implement defensive measures in advance. Strengthen emergency duty, activate emergency response in a timely manner, and dispatch working groups and expert guidance groups to disaster areas as soon as possible to guide the implementation of disaster prevention and reduction measures. Fourth, guidance must be in place early. Give play to the strength of experts in various industries, scientifically assess the impact of disasters, formulate technical plans for disaster relief, strengthen classified guidance, and implement key technologies for disaster prevention and reduction. At the same time, actively seek support from financial and other departments. Fifth, publicity must be planned early. Strengthen publicity and guidance for disaster prevention and reduction work, pay close attention to online public opinion, strengthen publicity planning, innovate publicity methods, adhere to rapid response, active guidance, and positive publicity as the main approach, and create a good atmosphere conducive to agricultural production.

Yu Xinrong stressed that the current period is a critical time for the formation of summer grain yield and also an important time for spring plowing and spring sowing. Agricultural departments at all levels must strengthen guidance and services, implement key measures, and lay the foundation for a bumper harvest of grain and agriculture for the whole year. First, vigorously grasp the late-stage management of summer grain and plan "three summer" production early. Focus on implementing the subsidy policy of "one spray and three preventions," increase grain weight, and raise per-unit yield. Make preparations for the "three summer" work early, arrange summer harvest and summer sowing well, carefully organize cross-regional machine harvesting, and ensure that every grain is returned to the granary. Second, vigorously grasp the implementation of spring sowing area and go all out to win a bumper autumn grain harvest. Continue to step up efforts, vigorously implement policies, optimize the planting structure, fully give play to the role of agricultural machinery, accelerate sowing progress, improve sowing quality, ensure sowing at the proper time, and achieve full stands with one sowing. Third, focus on key areas and prevent summer drought and early frost in Northeast China early. Strengthen disaster scheduling, strengthen guidance and services, and ensure safe passage through the flood season and the safety of agricultural production. In particular, pay close attention to the Northeast region, prepare early for preventing summer drought and early frost, and ensure safe maturity.