Ministry of Agriculture: State Introduces Seven Measures to Support Agricultural Production

China News Service, April 27 (Xinhua) - Ye Zhenqin, Director of the Planting Industry Management Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, said during an interview on the Chinese government website on the afternoon of April 27 that the State Council has introduced policies and measures to further support agricultural production. These policies are highly targeted and purpose-specific, covering a relatively wide range of areas, and are relatively strong in intensity.

Ye Zhenqin said that in response to the special difficulties and prominent problems currently encountered in agricultural production, and in order to further mobilize farmers' enthusiasm for growing grain and ensure the effective supply of agricultural products, especially grain, throughout the year, the State Council introduced policies and measures to further support agricultural production on the basis of accelerating the implementation of the policies to strengthen agriculture and benefit farmers already determined by the central government.

Ye Zhenqin pointed out that these policies have three very clear characteristics: First, these policies are all highly targeted, namely, targeted measures adopted in response to the difficulties in agricultural production caused by the current low temperatures and drought; second, the policies are highly purpose-specific, namely, to strive for a bumper summer grain harvest, to strive for a good harvest in agriculture for the whole year, to mobilize farmers' enthusiasm, and to give farmers more policy encouragement; third, these policies are all relatively strong in intensity, and the central government's fiscal input is to be increased to 7.08 billion yuan, making this an instance of relatively strong intensity and a relatively wide range of areas.

According to Ye Zhenqin, the measures introduced by the State Council include:

First, implementing subsidies for fertilizing weak winter wheat seedlings, film-mulched planting in the drought-stricken areas of the southwest, and greenhouse rice seedling cultivation in the northeast. The central government's fiscal authorities will provide subsidies at a standard of 10 yuan per mu to 53 million mu of weak-seedling wheat fields in 11 major winter wheat production areas nationwide, and provide subsidies for the promotion of plastic film mulching technology on 25 million mu of corn in the five provinces (regions, municipalities) of Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Chongqing. Subsidies will be provided for newly built rice seedling cultivation greenhouses in Heilongjiang, Jilin, and other provinces.

Second, increasing subsidies for high-yield creation. On the basis of the 600 million yuan of special funds already allocated for high-yield creation, the central government's fiscal authorities will add another 500 million yuan. The newly added funds will be tilted toward rice, especially the high-quality japonica rice production areas of the northeast.

Third, continuing to implement the temporary rapeseed purchase and storage policy, with the purchase and storage price raised from 1.85 yuan per jin to 1.95 yuan.

Fourth, increasing subsidy funds for the purchase of agricultural machinery and tools. On the basis of the 14.5 billion yuan of subsidy funds for the purchase of agricultural machinery and tools already allocated this year, the central government's fiscal authorities will add another 1 billion yuan, focusing on supporting mechanized tillage and mechanized sowing in the southwest and northern regions and accelerating the progress of spring sowing.

Fifth, implementing subsidies for livestock forage and feed in the snow and ice disaster areas of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. The central government's fiscal authorities will add 150 million yuan in subsidy funds for organizing the dispatch and transport of forage and feed, to meet the short-term supplementary feeding needs for 30 million head (animals) of disaster-affected livestock in the disaster areas of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia to safely pass through spring and for lambing and rearing of young livestock.

Sixth, implementing the frozen pork purchase and storage plan and accelerating the progress of pork purchase and storage. Timely launch temporary breeding subsidies for sows of breeding age for farmers (farms) in major pig-producing counties designated by the state.

Seventh, enriching and improving the central water conservancy construction fund, accelerating the establishment of a stable growth and guarantee mechanism for investment by governments at all levels, and strengthening capital construction of farmland water conservancy. Accelerate the renovation and upgrading of large and medium-sized irrigation districts and pumping stations, controlled backbone water source projects, and the construction of various water-saving irrigation projects. Increase rural financial support. (Compiled from online text live coverage)