Agricultural machinery is expected to become the pioneer of agriculture going global
As domestic and international environmental conditions change and the deep-seated contradictions accumulated through long-term extensive management gradually emerge, the production costs of major domestic agricultural products are continuously rising, the agricultural ecological environment is damaged, and resources such as arable land and fresh water are strained. How to realize the strategy of China's agriculture going global is extremely urgent.
"'Agriculture going global' is a need at the national strategic level, and it is also an important opportunity for Chinese agricultural machinery enterprises." Recently, Li Shujun, president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences, expressed the above views to reporters on the topic of "China's agriculture going global."
1. "Agriculture going global" is a systematic project
Li Shujun said: "Agriculture going global is not as simple as enclosing tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of mu of land. It does not mean that once you have land, agriculture has gone global. Enclosing land abroad requires coordination at the national strategic level. For example, Japan's overseas farming means the state subsidizes enterprises to run farms in Brazil. Our country also needs to formulate measures as soon as possible to encourage central enterprises to go global first."
Li Shujun often goes to Africa for inspections. He said that Africa's agricultural level is relatively low, and its planting, breeding and processing levels are in a very backward state. Therefore, if agriculture enters Africa, it still needs to start with the most basic crop farming, and it may not necessarily use the most advanced equipment, because the African people's level of agricultural production technology is very low, and then gradually develop to a certain scale of breeding industry. For example, in Ethiopia, this country ranks first in Africa in cattle raising, but because it is free-range, there is no artificially planted forage and feed, and there is no fattening technology, so the cattle are small and thin. In this regard, agricultural machinery can take the lead. Use Chinese agricultural machinery to develop Africa's large-scale planting, breeding and processing industries. At the same time, engaging in agriculture abroad is not something one enterprise can do alone. For example, seeds, fertilizers and all other industries must be united, and relevant universities, institutes and enterprises must be organized. Therefore, agriculture going global is a systematic project, because agricultural production is a very large system; breeding is also a major system, such as epidemic prevention issues and the introduction of breeding cattle, all of which have legal regulations. Not just any cattle can be taken to Africa.
At present, although China's agricultural machinery industry is the world's largest manufacturer, it has excess mid- and low-end production capacity and insufficient high-end production capacity. Chinese agricultural machinery has a good performance-to-price ratio and is highly competitive in African countries. Based on this situation, agricultural machinery enterprises entering African countries that most need to realize mechanized agricultural production not only solves Africa's food problem, but also helps China's food security. In addition, "agriculture going global" can also solve the problem of excess production capacity in China's entire agricultural industry.
2. Let the "Xiaowangzhuang Model" blossom and bear fruit overseas
Obviously, agricultural machinery enterprises going global is not simply about selling machinery. Since this is a systematic project, there must be a mature mechanized operation model for the entire agricultural industry chain. The "Xiaowangzhuang Model" created by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences provides a template for "agriculture going global." The "Xiaowangzhuang Model," namely the Xiaowangzhuang Beijing Agricultural Machinery Experimental Station, is an ecological agriculture base integrating planting, breeding, and agricultural product and food processing. Built around a dairy farm, it is a fully mechanized modern agriculture model that integrates advanced agricultural machinery technology and equipment, including information-based and intelligent technologies and methods such as soil nutrient detection, plant physiological and ecological monitoring, pest monitoring, and variable-rate application of water, fertilizer and pesticides by positioning, effectively improving the efficiency and precision of agricultural mechanization equipment products. The experimental station's nearly 1700 mu of land has realized the organic circulation of production, ecology and life and the organic combination of modern technology and ecological agriculture, forming an entire modern agricultural industry chain "from farm to table" that includes mechanized planting, intelligent breeding, organic food, and resource utilization of residues. It has become a typical demonstration of high-yield, high-quality, efficient, ecological and safe modern agriculture that emphasizes both increasing production and improving efficiency, matches good seeds with good methods, combines agricultural machinery with agronomy, and coordinates production and ecology.
In 2009, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences, following the "Xiaowangzhuang Model," undertook the construction of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center, which became the fastest-built and highest-quality center among China's 14 agricultural technology demonstration centers aiding Africa. It demonstrated the comprehensive technical advantages of China's agricultural engineering, explored a new model of "entering Africa," and enhanced influence in Africa. The construction of the modern agricultural technology demonstration center changed the past approach of Chinese agricultural machinery enterprises, which only did trade and sold products. Through the demonstration center, complete sets of technology and complete sets of equipment are delivered abroad. It not only sells equipment, but also helps the other side establish modern agricultural facilities and farms, forming the integration of planting, breeding and processing. It is a whole-industry-chain model integrating the three aspects from field to table, which not only solves Africa's food problem, but also lays a solid foundation for "agriculture going global."
Li Shujun said that as a state-owned agricultural machinery enterprise, the academy will make full use of the platform for international exchange. While going global, it will pay attention to social benefits, take advancing the national strategy as its own mission, and at the same time expand the space for enterprise development, and run the enterprise well and make it strong.