Professional and technical positions at the grassroots level shall be no less than 80%

Beijing, April 24 (Report): The draft amendment to the Agricultural Technology Promotion Law stipulates that professional and technical positions at county- and township-level agricultural technology promotion institutions shall be no less than 80% of total positions.

The draft regulates staffing and structural proportions, stipulating that people's governments at or above the county level shall reasonably determine the staffing of national agricultural technology promotion institutions to ensure the performance of public welfare duties; the positions of national agricultural technology promotion institutions shall be mainly professional and technical positions, with professional and technical positions at county- and township-level agricultural technology promotion institutions being no less than 80% of total positions, and no less than 70% at other agricultural technology promotion institutions.

The draft also regulates the qualification requirements for agricultural technicians, stipulating that professional and technical personnel of national agricultural technology promotion institutions shall possess the corresponding professional and technical level and meet the requirements of their job duties; newly hired professional and technical personnel shall have a college degree or above in a relevant field and pass the professional and technical level assessment organized by the relevant department of the people's government at or above the county level; for newly hired professional and technical personnel in areas practicing regional ethnic autonomy and in contiguous poverty-stricken areas designated by the state, upon approval by the relevant department of the provincial people's government, the requirement may be relaxed to a secondary specialized school diploma or above; to properly address the transition between the new and old systems, for existing personnel who do not meet the corresponding professional and technical level, the relevant department of the people's government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government shall determine transitional measures.

Regional agricultural technology promotion institutions may be established

Beijing, April 24 (Report): The draft amendment to the Agricultural Technology Promotion Law adds a provision allowing the establishment of regional agricultural technology promotion institutions.

According to reports, grassroots national agricultural technology promotion institutions were previously established by township. In recent years, with the improvement of transportation, information, and other conditions in various places, some localities have explored establishing agricultural technology promotion institutions by region in order to concentrate resources and facilitate management.

In accordance with the requirements set out in Document No. 1 of the Central Committee in 2009 to generally establish sound township or regional public service institutions for agricultural technology promotion nationwide within 3 years and the spirit of relevant documents of the State Council, and in light of actual circumstances, the draft stipulates that county- and township-level or regional national agricultural technology promotion institutions shall be established in accordance with local conditions, based on the principles of scientific rationality and concentration of resources, as well as the distribution of county-level agricultural characteristics, forest resources, water systems, and water conservancy facilities.

At the same time, the draft stipulates that the management system of township-level national agricultural technology promotion institutions shall be improved, with specifics to be determined by the people's government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government.

Agricultural technology promotion funds will increase year by year

Beijing, April 24 (Report by Zhang Yuan): To address the problems of insufficient investment in agricultural technology promotion and weak support capacity, the draft amendment to the Agricultural Technology Promotion Law provides five specific safeguard measures.

These five measures include:

First, establish a mechanism for the stable growth of agricultural technology promotion funds. People's governments at all levels shall, within their fiscal budgets, ensure funds for agricultural technology promotion and, in accordance with relevant provisions, ensure that such funds increase year by year. The relevant provisions refer to the Agriculture Law and relevant documents of the Central Committee and the State Council.

Second, ensure the working funds of grassroots agricultural technology promotion institutions. The working funds of county- and township-level agricultural technology promotion institutions shall be determined according to local service scale and performance, and shall be jointly borne by fiscal authorities at all levels; the central fiscal authority shall provide subsidies for major agricultural technology promotion.

Third, ensure the working conditions for agricultural technology promotion. People's governments at all levels shall take measures to ensure that national agricultural technology promotion institutions obtain the necessary working conditions, including experimental and demonstration sites, office space, and promotion and training facilities and equipment; local people's governments at all levels shall ensure that the experimental and demonstration sites, means of production, and other property of national agricultural technology promotion institutions are not infringed upon.

Fourth, encourage and support college graduates and scientific and technical personnel to engage in agricultural technology promotion at the grassroots level.

Fifth, governments at all levels may, by such means as purchasing services, guide various organizations and individuals to participate in agricultural technology promotion services; for various operating organizations or individuals carrying out agricultural technology promotion services, the state shall grant preferences in taxation, credit, and other aspects.