Greater Comprehensive Support for Grain Production

Premier Li Keqiang pointed out in the "Government Work Report" that this year's grain output must be stabilized at more than 1.1 trillion jin, to safeguard food security and the supply of major agricultural products. As a representative of the country's first prefecture-level city to achieve a grain yield of over one ton per mu and a total output of over 10 billion jin, Yang Yixin, a deputy to the National People's Congress and mayor of Dezhou City, Shandong Province, suggested that comprehensive support for grain production should be increased.

First, it is suggested to increase fiscal rewards and subsidies for major grain-producing areas. Create a policy atmosphere that enables governments and officials in major producing areas to focus on grain production with peace of mind, increase support for major grain-producing cities and major grain-producing counties, and change the situation of “major grain county, small industrial county, poor fiscal county.” First, implement a linked mechanism directly tying reward funds to grain sown area, output, and commodity volume, and raise the reward and subsidy ratio according to the local per capita grain contribution rate; second, not only reward major grain-producing counties, but also give direct rewards to major grain-producing cities; third, hold a grand national grain production commendation and reward conference in the name of the State Council every year; fourth, increase equalizing transfer payments, improve the basic fiscal security mechanism at the county level, expand its scope, raise its level, and gradually bring the fiscal capacity of major grain-producing areas up to the provincial average.

Second, increase fiscal rewards and subsidies for whole-area high-yield grain creation work. It is suggested that the state increase rewards and subsidies for the construction of whole-area high-yield creation demonstration zones of more than 30,000 mu, especially 100,000 mu, 200,000 mu, or even larger areas, and raise the subsidy level for the promotion and application of grain yield-increasing technical models such as “deep plowing and deep loosening, wide-width precision sowing,” so as to provide strong technical support for achieving another bumper harvest on a high base and from a high starting point.

Third, it is suggested to increase policy support for new agricultural business entities and increase fiscal support funds. New subsidy funds should be tilted toward new agricultural business entities, and family farms, farmer cooperatives, and leading enterprises that reach a certain scale or conditions should be given priority subsidies or rewards from the new subsidy funds, encouraging the development of scale operations. Training should be provided to those in charge of various new business entities, and a long-term mechanism for talent supply should be established to improve the quality and level of production and operation.

Fourth, it is suggested to increase support for socialized service entities. Cultivating a group of specialized service organizations capable of providing services such as farmland cultivation, unified pest and disease control, agricultural machinery operations, and agricultural technology promotion has become an urgent task. It is suggested that the state increase efforts to cultivate existing socialized service entities for farmland cultivation, unified pest and disease control, agricultural machinery operations, and agricultural technology promotion in major grain-producing areas, especially in large-area high-yield grain creation demonstration zones, and give key preference in reward and subsidy amounts and support project arrangements, so as to promote their rapid growth and strengthening and enable them to play a greater role in solving the “last kilometer” problem in agricultural technology promotion.

⟦NL> Fifth, it is suggested to increase support for local grain purchase and storage. At present, all localities generally emphasize production and neglect storage in grain. Taking Dezhou as an example, in 2013 it produced 16.65 billion jin of grain, but by the end of the year the whole city had only 2.1 billion jin in stock. Apart from what farmers kept for their own use, most of the rest circulated in society, and the reserve grain that the government could dispatch was obviously too little. It is suggested that the state issue and improve incentive policies for grain reserves in major grain-producing cities and major grain-producing counties, for example, by increasing preferential support in areas such as construction funds for grain reserve warehouses and subsidies for the purchase of large grain drying equipment.

Sixth, it is suggested to strengthen the basic guarantee for stable and high grain yields. First, vigorously grasp scientific and technological innovation and promote the sustainable development of green agriculture. Second, raise the level of agricultural mechanization and strive to improve the level of mechanical equipment and operational efficiency throughout the whole process of plowing, sowing, management, and harvesting. Third, improve the agricultural insurance system and enhance agriculture's ability to resist natural risks.