What are the levers for advancing agricultural modernization?

To accelerate the development of modern agriculture and enhance overall agricultural production capacity, it is necessary to accelerate the advancement of the standardization, scaling, specialization and organization of agricultural production. It can be said that these “four aspects” are important levers for advancing China's agricultural modernization at the present stage.

The “four aspects” of agricultural production are closely connected and interlocking, running through the entire process of agricultural production. Agricultural standardization requires agricultural production to follow unified standardized principles and to formulate and implement corresponding procedural standards; agricultural scaling requires agricultural production to achieve a reasonable scale of operation and management, optimize the allocation of factors, and obtain economies of scale; agricultural specialization requires agricultural production to shift from involving multiple projects and multiple products to a detailed division of labor and concentrated production areas, specializing in the production of advantageous projects or products; agricultural organization requires the concentration of agricultural resources, the orderly organization of agriculture-related entities, and the integration of production, processing and sales.

The “four aspects” of China's agricultural production are still at a relatively low level at present, mainly for the following reasons. First, path dependence in agricultural development. China's agriculture has long developed in an extensive manner and operated in a dispersed way, forming a strong path dependence. However, with population growth and rapid economic and social development, the contradiction of resource constraints has become increasingly prominent, and it is increasingly urgent to raise the level of the “four aspects” of agricultural production and the capacity for intensive utilization of agricultural resources. Second, the land transfer mechanism is not sound. Raising the level of the “four aspects” of agricultural production presupposes the intensive and scaled use of land resources. However, because the land transfer mechanism is not sound, agricultural operating entities and land use structures are dispersed, and scaled agricultural operation, standardized production and the application of advanced technology are restricted, constraining the process of agricultural industrialization. Third, the development of the “four aspects” is uncoordinated. China's agricultural production suffers from problems such as small scale, poor quality, scattered layout and a low degree of organizational operation, and an important reason lies in the lack of unified planning and mutual constraints in the development of the “four aspects.” At present, to accelerate the transformation of traditional agriculture into modern agriculture, it is necessary to raise the level of the “four aspects” of agricultural production in a targeted way.

Transform the agricultural development model. Transforming the extensive agricultural development model is the urgent task for raising the level of the “four aspects” of agricultural production. We should adapt to the new normal of the economy, advance the intensification of agricultural production, avoid excessive development and inefficient use of agricultural resources, strictly apply production standards in accordance with the quality requirements of agricultural products, and take the path of high-quality and efficient agriculture. We should attach importance to the application of advanced and applicable technology in agricultural production, comprehensively improve the quality of agricultural workers, and thereby raise agricultural production capacity and the added value of agricultural products, taking the path of invigorating agriculture through science and education. We should adhere to market demand as the guide, vigorously build a modern agricultural service system and infrastructure, broaden the circulation and sales channels of agricultural products, and take the path of agricultural marketization.

Improve the land transfer mechanism. Moderate-scale land operation is a necessary condition for raising the level of the “four aspects” of agricultural production, and this requires actively promoting the transfer of land operating rights. In response to the problem that some farmers would rather leave their land idle than transfer it, first, the ownership and rights and responsibilities of land should be clarified in legal form, farmers' lawful rights and interests should be safeguarded through an effective property rights system, the standardization of land transfer should be promoted, and farmers' enthusiasm for transferring land should be mobilized. Second, the rural social security system should be further improved, the level of security should be gradually raised, and farmers' worries about transferring land should be removed.

Build an evaluation system for the “four aspects.” In light of China's actual conditions and with reference to international standards, scientific and reasonable evaluation standards for the “four aspects” of agricultural production should be formulated, providing a basis and impetus for advancing the “four aspects.” The “four aspects” standards should be actively promoted and continuously improved in the course of implementation. It should be recognized that raising the level of the “four aspects” of agricultural production is a gradual process, and that the progress of the “four aspects” varies across different regions, while within the same region the level of individual aspects of the “four aspects” may also be high in some cases and low in others. Therefore, advancing the “four aspects” must be comprehensively coordinated. Departmental cooperation should be strengthened, coordinated management should be emphasized, and the forces of all parties should be concentrated so that the fast drive the slow and shortcomings are made up. At the same time, great importance should be attached to the guiding and driving role of leading agricultural enterprises, giving play to their advantages in standards, information, technology and capital to accelerate the process of the “four aspects” of agricultural production.