Relevant heads of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance discuss the 2015-2017 agricultural machinery purchase
The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance conscientiously implemented the spirit of the Third and Fourth Plenary Sessions of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the Central Economic Work Conference, the Central Rural Work Conference, and the Central Document No. 1. In response to prominent problems encountered in the implementation of current agricultural machinery purchase subsidies, they carried out in-depth investigations and extensively solicited opinions from farmers, enterprises, grassroots officials, and agricultural machinery and finance departments at all levels. On the basis of summarizing experience in recent years and the innovative pilot work on agricultural machinery purchase subsidy operations, on January 27 of this year the General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and the General Office of the Ministry of Finance jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on the Implementation of Agricultural Machinery Purchase Subsidies for 2015-2017" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"). To gain a detailed understanding of the relevant circumstances of the 2015-2017 agricultural machinery purchase subsidy policy, a reporter recently conducted a dedicated interview with relevant heads of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance.
Reporter: How was the agricultural machinery purchase subsidy policy implemented in 2014?
Answer: In 2014, the central finance arranged a total of 23.7548 billion yuan in agricultural machinery purchase subsidy funds, an increase of 2 billion yuan over the previous year, and overall implementation was standardized and efficient. Driven by the agricultural machinery purchase subsidy policy, the inventory of major agricultural machinery equipment urgently needed for agricultural production maintained rapid growth, and the area of mechanized operations continued to expand, providing strong equipment and technical support for realizing the "eleventh consecutive increase" in grain production and the "eleventh consecutive increase" in farmers' incomes.
First, it promoted the continued growth of the total amount of agricultural machinery and further optimized the structure and layout of agricultural machinery equipment. The agricultural machinery purchase subsidy policy continued to mobilize farmers' enthusiasm for purchasing machinery, and the total amount of agricultural machinery equipment nationwide continued to grow steadily and relatively quickly. It is estimated that in 2014 the total power of agricultural machinery nationwide reached 1.076 billion kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 3.57%. The inventories of large and medium-sized tractors and matching farm implements are estimated to have reached 5.72 million units and 8.94 million units respectively, up 8.6% and 8.1% year on year, with growth rates 8 and 7 percentage points higher than those of small tractors and matching farm implements respectively, making the trend toward larger and more fully matched tractors even more obvious. Rice transplanters and combine harvesters are estimated to have reached 665,000 units and 1.577 million units respectively, up 9.7% and 11% year on year, while corn harvesters reached 344,000 units, up 20.1% year on year, with growth exceeding 20% for 6 consecutive years.
Second, it promoted the popularization and use of agricultural machinery and further raised the level of mechanized agricultural operations. Agricultural machinery purchase subsidies continued to stimulate farmers' enthusiasm for using machinery, and new types of socialized service organizations such as agricultural machinery cooperatives increased rapidly. The number of agricultural machinery cooperatives has reached 47,000, an increase of more than 5,100 over the previous year. The area of agricultural machinery operations continued to increase, and the level of mechanization at important farming times and in weak links improved significantly. In 2014, the comprehensive mechanization level of crop cultivation, planting, and harvesting nationwide is estimated to have exceeded 61%, an increase of more than 1.5 percentage points over last year, achieving the "12th Five-Year Plan" target ahead of schedule. The mechanized wheat harvesting rate exceeded 92%. The levels of mechanized rice planting and harvesting are estimated to have exceeded 38% and 81% respectively. The level of mechanized corn harvesting is estimated to have exceeded 56%, with growth exceeding 5 percentage points for 6 consecutive years. Positive progress was made in the mechanization of crops such as rapeseed, peanuts, potatoes, cotton, and sugarcane.
Third, it guided the application of new agricultural mechanization technologies and further promoted the transformation of agricultural production methods. Agricultural machinery purchase subsidies guided farmers to purchase advanced and applicable agricultural machinery and tools, effectively promoting the popularization and use of new agricultural mechanization technologies that increase production and efficiency, conserve resources, and are environmentally friendly. It is estimated that over the year, the area under new agricultural mechanization technologies such as precision sowing, conservation tillage, and efficient plant protection increased by 260 million mu. At the same time, over the year a cumulative area of 150 million mu of agricultural machinery deep loosening and land preparation operations was completed, exceeding the target task of 100 million mu proposed in the 2014 Government Work Report.
Fourth, it stimulated effective rural demand and further promoted the steady development of the agricultural machinery industry. Agricultural machinery purchases showed a diversified pattern dominated by input from farmers and agricultural production and operation organizations, supplemented by fiscal subsidies and social input, continuing to drive the development of the agricultural machinery industry. In 2014, the main business revenue of agricultural machinery enterprises above designated size nationwide reached 418.06 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.79%. Apart from tractor products entering a period of adjustment, the output of most agricultural machinery products grew steadily, and the agricultural machinery industry continued to develop healthily.
Reporter: Compared with previous years, what new changes are there in this year's agricultural machinery purchase subsidy policy, and what new features does it present?
Answer: This year's agricultural machinery purchase subsidy policy has further intensified reform and innovation, better reflects the principles of respecting farmers' decision-making power and responding to market-oriented demand, and reflects the inclusive nature of public finance policy and the key orientation of industrial development policy. In the policy implementation pattern, it adheres to streamlining administration and delegating power; at the policy operation level, it adheres to cutting the complex and simplifying it, striving to promote the targeting, stability, inclusiveness, and safety of policy implementation, effectively safeguarding the safety of funds and officials, and ensuring the efficient and safe implementation of the subsidy policy. This is mainly reflected in 4 aspects:
First, it focuses on highlighting key points, accelerating the full mechanization of major crop production such as grain, cotton, oil, and sugar, and improving the directionality and precision of the policy. The "Opinions" stipulate that, in accordance with the target requirements of "basic self-sufficiency in grains and absolute security of ration grains," central finance funds will focus on subsidizing machinery and tools needed for key links in the production of major crops such as grain, cotton, oil, and sugar, while also taking into account machinery and tools needed for the development of animal husbandry, fisheries, facility agriculture, forestry and fruit industry, and primary processing of agricultural products, striving to use about 3 years to focus on raising the level of full mechanization in the production of major crops such as grain, cotton, oil, and sugar.
Second, it focuses on reform and improvement, optimizing system design, reflecting fairness to the people and convenience and efficiency, and highlighting the inclusiveness and stability of the policy. The "Opinions" stipulate that each province should, according to the development needs of local advantageous leading industries and the scale of subsidy funds, select machinery and tools for some key links for open subsidies; major grain-producing provinces (regions) should select some machinery and tool categories urgently needed for key links in grain production for open subsidies; provinces with conditions should, around leading industries and in accordance with the principle that the scale of subsidy funds and the demand for machinery purchases are relatively consistent, select machinery and tool categories to pilot full open subsidies. At the same time, the "Opinions" implementation period is 2015-2017, and the subsidy scope, subsidy standards, and operating methods will remain unchanged for 3 years, further stabilizing expectations and maintaining policy continuity.
Third, it focuses on standardized implementation, strengthening process supervision, and enhancing information disclosure, performance assessment, and integrity risk prevention and control to safeguard fund safety. The "Opinions" stipulate that the implementation method of the agricultural machinery purchase subsidy policy shall be independent machinery purchase, fixed-amount subsidies, county-level settlement, and direct subsidy to cards (households), promoting standardized implementation and preventing integrity risks. Agricultural mechanization competent departments and finance departments at all levels are required to further raise ideological awareness, strengthen organizational leadership, maintain close communication and cooperation, establish work responsibility systems, carry out in-depth performance management, and further refine and strengthen relevant measures in aspects such as information disclosure, transparent operation, simplified procedures, convenience services, strengthened supervision, and strict punishment of violations.
Fourth, it focuses on market-oriented principles, giving play through market mechanisms to the guiding role of subsidy policy in the development of agricultural mechanization, safeguarding the decision-making power of purchasers in choosing and buying machinery, and promoting scientific and technological progress in agricultural machinery products. The "Opinions" stipulate that, on the basis of last year's pilot, it will continue to select individual provinces to carry out pilot market-oriented reform of subsidized products; in order to guide and encourage agricultural machinery manufacturers to strengthen research and development innovation, it will select several provinces to carry out pilots for central finance fund purchase subsidies for new agricultural machinery products; farmers may independently choose dealers to purchase machinery, and dealers shall be independently determined and independently announced by manufacturers, and the operational process of implementing the subsidy policy shall gradually be decoupled from agricultural machinery product dealership enterprises, with a transition period of 3 years.
In short, through the implementation of the agricultural machinery purchase subsidy policy, it is necessary to fully mobilize and protect farmers' enthusiasm for purchasing and using agricultural machinery, promote the optimization of agricultural machinery equipment structure and the improvement of agricultural mechanization operation capacity and level, advance the transformation of agricultural development methods, and effectively ensure the effective supply of major agricultural products.
Reporter: What new changes are there in the subsidy recipients? What considerations is this change based on?
Answer: The "Opinions" made appropriate revisions to the subsidy recipients, that is, changing last year's "subsidy recipients are farmers and herdsmen, farm (forest farm) employees, farmer cooperatives, and agricultural production and operation organizations engaged in agricultural machinery operations that are included in the implementation scope and meet the subsidy conditions" to "individuals directly engaged in agricultural production and agricultural production and operation organizations." Among them, individuals include not only farmers and herdsmen and farm (forest farm) employees, but also other residents directly engaged in agricultural production; the definition of agricultural production and operation organizations can be linked with the Agriculture Law, including not only farmer cooperatives and family farms, but also agricultural enterprises directly engaged in agricultural production, etc.
The appropriate adjustment of the scope of subsidy recipients is mainly due to the consideration that, with the rapid advancement of urbanization and the acceleration of the transfer of rural labor, the subjects currently engaged in agricultural production are not only farmers and herdsmen, and more and more agricultural production tasks are undertaken by new agricultural operation entities such as cooperatives and agricultural enterprises; in addition, after the reform of the household registration system, farmer is only an occupational classification, and it is difficult to distinguish people any longer by residence and household registration.
Each province should, according to actual conditions, independently decide whether to expand subsidy recipients to agricultural production enterprises, etc. It is necessary to conduct in-depth investigation and research, make advance judgments on possible risks after agricultural enterprises are included as subsidy recipients, make scientific decisions, further refine the definition, and specify it concretely in the province's agricultural machinery purchase subsidy implementation plan or guiding opinions.
Reporter: Has there been any change in the range of machinery and tool categories subsidized by central finance funds, and what is the basis for determining it?
Answer: In accordance with the principle of dividing central and local responsibilities, central finance funds give priority and focus to subsidizing machinery and tool categories that can meet public needs and reflect national strategic goals. The range of machinery and tools subsidized by central finance funds for 2015-2017 was compressed from 175 categories in 2014 to 137 categories; self-selected categories were canceled, and machinery and equipment needed for the development of some local characteristic agriculture and with strong applicability in small regions may be subsidized by finance at all local levels.
When determining the scope of subsidized machinery and tools, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance mainly followed 3 principles: first, highlight key points, and in accordance with the target requirements of "basic supply of grains and absolute security of ration grains," focus on subsidizing machinery and tools needed for key links in the production of major crops such as grain, cotton, oil, and sugar, while also taking into account machinery and tools needed for the development of animal husbandry, fisheries, facility agriculture, forestry and fruit industry, and primary processing of agricultural products, striving to use about 3 years to focus on raising the level of full mechanization in the production of major crops such as grain, cotton, oil, and sugar; second, mainly subsidize agricultural machinery that farmers have difficulty purchasing and that is relatively high in value; third, facilitate supervision, and restrict the scope of subsidized categories as much as possible to machinery mainly used for agricultural production.
Each province should, according to the actual agricultural production conditions of the province, select some categories from the 137 categories as the scope of central finance fund subsidies for the province.
Reporter: How do the qualifications of subsidized products differ from previous years, and how should the pilot market-oriented reform of subsidized products be carried out actively and prudently?
Answer: Starting in 2015, the qualifications of subsidized products will no longer be linked to the catalog of agricultural machinery products supported and promoted at the national and provincial levels. However, subsidized products should meet two qualification conditions: first, subsidized machinery and tools must be products produced within the territory of the People's Republic of China; second, except for pilot subsidies for new products, subsidized machinery and tools should be products that have obtained valid ministerial-level or provincial-level promotion appraisal certificates. At the same time, it is clarified that agricultural machinery products for which subsidy qualifications have been explicitly canceled or that do not comply with production license management or compulsory certification management may not enjoy subsidies.
This year, it will also continue to select individual provinces with enthusiasm, relatively mature ideas, and strong organizational capacity to carry out pilot market-oriented reform of subsidized products, that is, within the scope of subsidized machinery and tool categories, except for agricultural machinery products for which subsidy qualifications have been explicitly canceled or that do not comply with production license management or compulsory certification management, agricultural machinery products purchased by eligible machinery purchasers may all apply for subsidies.
Reporter: Why vigorously promote open subsidies for key categories?
Answer: Starting in 2011, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance advocated that machinery and tools for key and weak links in agricultural mechanization production should receive subsidies to the fullest extent possible, meeting the needs of all farmers who apply. In 2014, 21 provinces nationwide determined subsidy scopes around agricultural machinery urgently needed for agricultural production and implemented open subsidies for some or all categories. Among them, Jiangsu Province implemented open subsidies for all 50 categories within the subsidy scope, with subsidy funds backed by provincial finance; Jilin issued an agricultural machinery purchase subsidy implementation plan in the name of the provincial government, compressing the subsidy scope to 35 categories and focusing subsidies on machinery and tools needed for full mechanization of grain production.
From practice, implementing open subsidies and a generalized preference system for key categories can, on the one hand, concentrate funds to subsidize key points, enhance full mechanization of major crop production, enhance China's production capacity for major agricultural products, and ensure supply security. On the other hand, it can simplify procedures, reduce approval links such as determining subsidy recipients, prevent rent-seeking by power, and also facilitate supervision and prevention and control of integrity risks.
In 2015, major grain-producing provinces (regions) are mainly required to select some or all machinery and tool categories urgently needed for key links in grain production for open subsidies, mainly including deep loosening machines, no-till seeders, rice transplanters, motorized sprayers and dusters, power (boom-type, air-assisted) sprayers, self-propelled crawler grain combine harvesters (whole-feed), half-feed combine harvesters, corn harvesters, potato harvesters, straw chopping and returning machines, grain dryers, large and medium-sized wheeled tractors, etc. Major producing provinces (regions) of cotton, oil crops, and sugar crops should implement open subsidies for machinery and tool categories such as cotton harvesters, sugarcane planters, sugarcane harvesters, rapeseed harvesters, and peanut harvesters.
In addition, provinces with conditions are encouraged, around leading industries and in accordance with the principle that the scale of subsidy funds and the demand for machinery purchases are relatively consistent, to select machinery and tool categories to pilot full open subsidies, striving to concentrate funds, focus on key points, and coordinate in a planned and phased manner to accelerate the development of mechanization.
Reporter: What new changes are there in subsidy standards?
Answer: Central finance agricultural machinery purchase subsidy funds continue to implement fixed-amount subsidies, that is, agricultural machinery of the same type and same grade shall in principle implement a unified subsidy standard within the provincial territory, and differential treatment may not be applied to similar products produced by enterprises inside and outside the province.
In order to effectively address mechanization in some key links, the per-unit subsidy ceilings for some machinery and tools were appropriately raised, such as large sugarcane harvesters from 250,000 yuan to 400,000 yuan, and large cotton pickers from 400,000 yuan to 600,000 yuan. On this basis, actively explore carrying out pilot financial leasing of large agricultural machinery. However, this is the maximum subsidy amount; the specific subsidy amount shall be determined by the agricultural mechanization competent department of each province in light of local agricultural machinery product market sales prices, in principle calculated at no more than 30% of the average sales price of that grade of product in the previous year, and on the basis of considering factors such as the maximum subsidy amount, the inclusiveness of the policy, and the efficiency of fund use.
In order to prevent excessive differences in subsidy amounts between regions, the provision that the calculation ratio of subsidy amounts in key schistosomiasis prevention areas and areas severely affected by earthquakes shall not exceed 50% was canceled (where the State Council provides otherwise, relevant provisions shall apply).
Reporter: What new changes are there in the management of enterprises producing and distributing agricultural machinery purchase subsidy products?
Answer: In the management of enterprises producing and selling agricultural machinery purchase subsidy products, the principle of "streamlining administration, delegating power, and combining decentralization with management" is fully reflected, with new measures mainly in 3 aspects:
First, in order to avoid creating the illusion that administrative departments review and approve subsidized dealers, in addition to continuing to have subsidy product dealership enterprises independently determined by agricultural machinery manufacturers, it is also stipulated that subsidy product dealership enterprises shall be announced to society by agricultural machinery manufacturers, but provincial agricultural mechanization competent departments shall promptly announce the list of dealership enterprises and individuals that have been included in the blacklist.
Second, in order to further strengthen fair competition and standardized implementation of the policy, subsidy recipients may independently choose subsidy product dealers to purchase machinery (no longer limited within the provincial territory), and may also purchase machinery through methods such as direct sales by enterprises; in principle, subsidy recipients should go to the competent department determined by the local government to handle all subsidy procedures, and the operational process of implementing the subsidy policy should gradually be decoupled from agricultural machinery product dealership enterprises, with a transition period of 3 years.
Third, relevant responsibilities and obligations were further clarified. Machinery purchasers and agricultural machinery production and sales enterprises shall respectively bear legal responsibility for the authenticity of the agricultural machinery purchase subsidy application materials they submit and the machinery they purchase; disputes and economic losses arising from the suspension or cancellation of the product subsidy qualifications or the qualifications to distribute subsidized products of agricultural machinery production and sales enterprises shall be borne by the violating agricultural machinery production or sales enterprises themselves.
Reporter: What requirements and measures are there for disclosure of subsidy information?
Answer: The "Opinions" require agricultural mechanization competent departments at all levels to actively publicize the subsidy policy through radio, television, newspapers, the internet, brochures, plain-language notices, wall charts, and other forms; and to establish and improve special columns for disclosure of agricultural machinery purchase subsidy information, ensuring the effective operation of information disclosure carriers such as these columns.
Provincial and county-level agricultural mechanization competent departments shall focus on disclosing implementation plans, subsidy amount schedules, operating procedures, complaint and consultation methods, fund scale and use progress, subsidy beneficiary recipients, and violations and problems, etc.; agricultural mechanization competent departments at all levels shall organize agricultural machinery testing and appraisal institutions, in accordance with the principle of "whoever appraises discloses," to disclose information such as promotion appraisal certificates and appraisal and inspection results of subsidized machinery and tools.
After the annual subsidy work is completed, county-level agricultural mechanization competent departments shall, in the form of an announcement, publish on the local government website or the website (page) of the agriculture (agricultural machinery) department all information on machinery purchasers receiving subsidies and the implementation situation, while paying attention to protecting personal privacy.
Reporter: As a new pilot, what requirements are there for the specific operation of the pilot subsidy for the purchase of new agricultural machinery products?
Answer: In order to encourage agricultural machinery manufacturers to strengthen research and development innovation, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance plan to select several provinces to carry out pilots for central finance fund purchase subsidies for new agricultural machinery products. The selection of pilot provinces shall be based on the principle of voluntariness and proposed by each province. Specific implementation measures shall be jointly studied and formulated by the agricultural mechanization competent departments and finance departments of the pilot provinces.
New product subsidies are a new task with no mature experience and require pilot provinces to explore in practice. What needs to be clarified is that new products should have characteristics such as relatively reliable quality, advanced and mature technology, and promotion value. Through subsidies, we will accelerate the application and promotion of new agricultural machinery products and the upgrading and replacement of new agricultural mechanization technologies; this is the policy goal. Products with unreliable quality and high risk must never be bought by farmers for "experiments," as this not only delays farming seasons but may also carry certain safety hazards. In selecting new product types, it is required to highlight the needs of the development of major industries such as grain, cotton, oil, and sugar and the promotion of new agricultural mechanization technologies; for new products where there is dispute over whether they even belong to agricultural machinery, subsidies may temporarily not be given; in determining specific products, it is required to conduct in-depth investigation, extensive demonstration, collective research, and prudent decision-making, and it is best to use relevant documents issued by relevant management departments as the basis for selecting and identifying new products, ensuring advanced technology and controllable risk. In specific operating methods, methods such as experimental project management may also be referenced, first testing on a small scale and then appropriately expanding the pilot scope.
Reporter: How can supervision over the implementation of the agricultural machinery purchase subsidy policy be further strengthened?
Answer: The "Opinions" require agricultural mechanization competent departments at all levels, on the basis of doing regular supervision and inspection work well, to mobilize all sectors of society to participate in supervision and management of policy implementation, make up for some deficiencies that exist when relying only on their own management strength, and focus supervision on the investigation and handling of reports and complaints from the masses.
First, provincial, prefectural, and county-level agricultural mechanization competent departments shall conduct key investigation and verification of complaints with specific leads, such as concentrated complaints, inadequate "three guarantees" services, adoption of unfair competition, non-standard factory numbers and nameplates, failure to use the auxiliary management system as required, false publicity, reduced configuration, passing off inferior goods as good, and fraudulent or nested subsidy claims.
Second, prefectural and county-level agricultural mechanization competent departments, for production and sales enterprises that violate relevant provisions of the agricultural machinery purchase subsidy policy, may, depending on the investigation, adopt measures such as admonitory talks and rectification within a time limit for violating enterprises, and report the relevant situation and further handling suggestions to provincial agricultural mechanization competent departments.
Third, provincial agricultural mechanization competent departments, depending on the investigation and the suggestions of prefectural and county-level agricultural mechanization competent departments, may adopt measures such as admonitory talks, rectification within a time limit, suspension of subsidies, cancellation of subsidy qualifications, and inclusion in the blacklist. The handling situation shall be promptly announced to society and, depending on the circumstances, copied to departments such as industry and commerce, quality supervision, and public security. At the same time, the handling situation of suspension or cancellation of subsidy qualifications shall be promptly reported to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Reporter: How can convenience and benefit to the people be achieved in the implementation of the agricultural machinery purchase subsidy policy?
Answer: The "Opinions" require all localities, on the premise of ensuring fund safety, to further simplify procedures and reduce the number of trips farmers must make to apply and receive subsidies. It is advocated that subsidy recipients first purchase machinery and then apply for subsidies, and counties and townships are encouraged to carry out "one-stop" services for accepting applications and verifying registration at centralized machinery purchase locations or local government service halls, etc.
At the same time, the progress of fund settlement shall be further accelerated. County-level agricultural mechanization competent departments shall submit relevant materials to finance departments within the prescribed time limit, and finance departments shall organize the payment of subsidy funds within the prescribed time limit, with the specific time limits determined by each province according to actual conditions.
In 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance will continue to carry out pilot financial leasing of large cotton pickers and sugarcane harvesters in Xinjiang, Guangxi, and other places. All localities should also further increase coordination with financial departments, actively explore rural financial services such as agricultural machinery financial leasing and agricultural machinery mortgage loans, and support farmers in purchasing and using machinery through multiple channels and in multiple forms.
Reporter: How is the 2015 deep loosening and land preparation operation subsidy arranged?
Answer: In order to accelerate the advancement of deep loosening and land preparation operations, this year provinces included in the "National Agricultural Machinery Deep Loosening and Land Preparation Operation Implementation Plan" are allowed, in light of actual conditions, to arrange subsidy funds from agricultural machinery purchase subsidy funds (not exceeding 15% of the province's total subsidy funds) for implementing agricultural machinery deep loosening and land preparation operation subsidies in suitable areas. Specific operating measures shall be implemented with reference to the "Notice of the General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture on Carrying Out Pilot Work on Agricultural Machinery Deep Loosening and Land Preparation Operation Subsidies" (Nong Ban Ji [2013] No. 98). Large agricultural machinery households, agricultural machinery cooperatives, and other agricultural machinery service organizations with conditions are encouraged to undertake operation subsidy tasks and carry out socialized services such as cross-regional deep loosening and land preparation operations.
This year's deep loosening and land preparation task is very heavy. All localities should attach great importance to it, adopt effective measures, and make breakthroughs in operation area. In particular, provinces that for the first time this year carry out subsidies for deep loosening and land preparation operations should plan ahead, learn from the experience and practices of relevant provinces, and solidly advance the subsidy pilot work.
Reporter: What adjustments have been made to the pilot work on agricultural machinery scrapping and renewal that has been carried out for more than two years?
Answer: Since the pilot work on agricultural machinery scrapping and renewal subsidies was carried out more than two years ago, it has played an important role in optimizing the structure of agricultural machinery equipment, promoting energy conservation and emission reduction, and advancing safe production. In 2015-2017, the pilot will continue to be carried out, and the scope of the agricultural machinery scrapping and renewal pilot has been appropriately adjusted, with the number of pilot areas adjusted and expanded from 11 to 17, mainly including Hebei, Shanxi, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Xinjiang, Ningbo, and Qingdao, etc. Specific operating measures shall continue to be implemented with reference to the "Guiding Opinions on the Implementation of the 2012 Pilot Work on Agricultural Machinery Scrapping and Renewal Subsidies" (Nong Ban Cai [2012] No. 133).
In the future, the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the Ministry of Finance, will conduct inspections and evaluations of the implementation work in pilot provinces and, depending on the circumstances, dynamically adjust the pilot provinces on an annual basis.