The General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture Deploys 2012 "Three Autumns" Mechanized Production Work

Nong Ban Ji [2012] No. 41

To the agricultural machinery (agriculture, agriculture and animal husbandry) bureaus (departments, commissions, offices) of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government and cities with separate state planning, the Agriculture Bureau of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and the Heilongjiang Provincial General Bureau of State Farms:

At present, the “Three Autumns” production is about to be fully launched. Vigorously advancing mechanized operations for autumn harvesting, autumn sowing and autumn land preparation is of special and important significance for achieving the goals of agricultural production for the whole year and maintaining steady and relatively rapid economic and social development. In order to thoroughly implement the spirit of the Central Document No. 1 and the decisions and arrangements of the Ministry of Agriculture, organize this year's “Three Autumns” mechanized production with high quality and high efficiency, and strive to secure a bumper grain harvest for the whole year, the relevant requirements are hereby notified as follows.

I. Clarify the goals and effectively strengthen organizational leadership

The goals of this year's “Three Autumns” agricultural mechanization production work are: closely focusing on mechanized production of key crops, key production links and main production areas, with emphasis on mechanized harvesting of rice and corn, mechanical crushing and returning of straw to the field, mechanical sowing of wheat and rapeseed, and deep loosening and land preparation by agricultural machinery, to promote steady growth in operating machinery and tools, continuous improvement in operation levels, and a stable and orderly operation market. Strive for the number of various types of agricultural machinery put into “Three Autumns” production nationwide to reach more than 29 million units (sets); raise the level of mechanized corn harvesting by 5 percentage points to more than 38%; raise the level of mechanized rice harvesting by 2 percentage points to more than 71%; raise the level of mechanized wheat sowing by 1 percentage point to more than 87%; vigorously promote the technology of deep loosening and land preparation by agricultural machinery, achieve obvious progress in the mechanization of rapeseed, potato, peanut and other crops, and further raise the level of mechanization in autumn harvesting and autumn and winter sowing production. All localities should take “Three Autumns” mechanized production as the central task of current agricultural mechanization work, strengthen organizational leadership, formulate work plans, firmly implement measures, and strengthen the fulfillment of responsibilities. It is necessary to formulate the goals and tasks of “Three Autumns” mechanized production in their own regions in light of actual conditions, strive to improve the serviceability rate, attendance rate and operation efficiency of agricultural machinery and tools, and ensure the smooth progress of agricultural production in autumn and winter. Give full play to the foundational role of agricultural mechanization in stabilizing the grain production area, its key role in raising the per-unit yield level of grain, its role as the main force in grain production during major farming seasons, and its guaranteeing role in fighting disasters and securing a bumper harvest in grain production.

II. Implement policies and quickly carry out all preparations

All localities should conscientiously implement the subsidy policy for the purchase of agricultural machinery, and relevant regions should actively carry out pilot work on subsidies for scrapping and renewing agricultural machinery, standardize operations, strengthen supervision, accelerate the progress of implementing subsidy funds, and do a good job in the supply, installation and debugging of new machinery and tools, so as to prompt newly purchased machinery and tools to be put into use in the “Three Autumns” as soon as possible. Before the busy period of the “Three Autumns,” it is necessary to organize management cadres and technical personnel to go deep into villages, strengthen publicity and consultation on agricultural mechanization support policies such as purchase subsidies and operation subsidies, carry out training on machinery and tool maintenance, operating skills, quality standards, and safe production, guide agricultural machinery operators in repairing and maintaining machinery and tools, and ensure that machinery and tools are put into operation in good condition. It is necessary to coordinate agricultural machinery production enterprises and dealers to do a good job in parts supply and after-sales service, and fulfill the “three guarantees” service commitment for agricultural machinery products. In response to the characteristics of this year's disasters, it is necessary to do a good job in organizing and mobilizing agricultural machinery for disaster resistance and relief, and base efforts on fighting disasters to secure a bumper harvest.

III. Actively guide and solidly advance cross-regional operations

It is necessary to continue to organize cross-regional mechanized harvesting of rice and corn, and promote the expansion of autumn cross-regional agricultural machinery operations from mechanized harvesting to fields such as mechanized sowing and deep loosening and land preparation. It is necessary to give full play to the role of news media such as television, radio and newspapers, as well as new media such as mobile phones and the Internet, and promptly provide machinery operators and farmers with information services such as machinery and tool supply and demand, operation prices and operation progress. During “Three Autumns” production, all localities should strengthen the statistical compilation of operation progress, pay close attention to weather changes and the supply and demand of machinery and tools, strengthen macro guidance and regulation, reasonably plan operation areas, scientifically allocate operation tasks and machinery, promote the reasonable flow of machinery and tools and efficient operations, and strive to achieve harvesting one mu as soon as the autumn grain matures and sowing one plot as soon as the land is cleared, ensuring that autumn grain is returned to the granary in full and overwintering crops are sown in the suitable sowing period. Actively guide large agricultural machinery households, agricultural machinery cooperatives and other agricultural machinery socialized service organizations to carry out order operations, contract services, “one-stop services” and “package services,” strictly implement agricultural machinery operation standards, and ensure operation quality.

IV. Focus on actual results and vigorously promote advanced technologies

All localities should deeply carry out the “Agricultural Mechanization Scientific and Technological Innovation and Promotion Action,” organize technical personnel to go deep into the production front line to carry out technical training and guidance, actively advance the integration of agricultural machinery and agronomy and the integration of agricultural mechanization and informatization, and vigorously promote and apply conservation tillage, deep application of chemical fertilizers, mechanical deep loosening, no-till sowing, compaction for moisture conservation, straw return to the field, water-saving irrigation, efficient pesticide application and other yield-increasing and efficiency-enhancing, resource-conserving and environment-friendly agricultural mechanization technologies, and continuously improve the scientific and technological level of “Three Autumns” mechanized production. The northern winter wheat region should vigorously promote technologies such as conservation tillage, corn straw return to the field, and precision sowing of wheat, and further improve the level of mechanized wheat sowing. The southern rice region should, while doing a good job in mechanized rush harvesting, continue to demonstrate and promote mechanized sowing and transplanting technologies for rapeseed and potato, and strive to raise the level of mechanized planting of overwintering crops. Suitable areas such as Northeast China, North China and the Huang-Huai region should actively seek subsidies for deep loosening and land preparation operations by agricultural machinery, organize and implement autumn deep loosening operations, and lay a solid foundation for next year's agricultural production. All localities should, in light of actual conditions, actively demonstrate and promote equipment technologies and machinery for forestry and fruit industries, animal husbandry, fisheries, protected agriculture and primary processing of agricultural products, and continuously expand the fields of agricultural mechanization technology promotion and operation services.

V. Supervise according to law and strive to ensure safe production

All localities should adhere to the principle of “safety first, prevention foremost, comprehensive management,” closely combine the creation of “Safe Agricultural Machinery” with “Three Autumns” production, fully implement the safe production responsibility system, investigate hidden accident hazards, strengthen publicity and education, and build a long-term mechanism for safe production of agricultural machinery. It is necessary to closely cooperate with relevant departments such as safety supervision and public security traffic management, strengthen efforts to address the irregular issuance of license plates and certificates, strictly investigate and deal with illegal acts such as driving tractors and combine harvesters without license plates, driving without a license, and carrying passengers in violation of regulations, strive to improve the “plate registration rate, inspection rate and certificate-holding rate” of agricultural machinery, and prevent the occurrence of major and extraordinarily serious accidents. Effectively do a good job in the prevention, handling, statistics and reporting of agricultural machinery accidents, and create a safe and harmonious environment for “Three Autumns” mechanized production.

VI. Carry out extensive publicity and continuously create a good atmosphere

All localities should conscientiously implement the “Agricultural Mechanization Production Information Reporting System” and its assessment methods, arrange dedicated personnel for duty, and on Monday and Thursday afternoons each week, through the direct reporting system on the agricultural mechanization production information network, promptly do a good job in the statistics and information reporting of “Three Autumns” mechanized production progress, and accurately reflect the work progress and results of each locality. After “Three Autumns” production ends, timely summaries should be carried out. It is necessary to closely cooperate with news media, conscientiously organize and plan publicity reports on “Three Autumns” agricultural mechanization production, vigorously publicize new highlights of agricultural mechanization such as mechanized corn harvesting and mechanized rapeseed sowing, vigorously publicize the important role of agricultural mechanization in technology integration, cost saving and efficiency improvement, and promoting scale operation, as well as its important contributions in “stabilizing area, increasing per-unit yield, seizing farming seasons, and preventing disasters,” and create a good public opinion atmosphere for “Three Autumns” mechanized production.

General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture

September 10, 2012