Strong agricultural and rural situation in 2014 provides solid support for the new normal
The reporter learned from the National Agricultural Work Conference held a few days ago: this year China's agricultural and rural economy achieved steady progress, steady improvement in quality, and steady gains in efficiency from a high starting point. After grain output achieved an "eleventh consecutive increase" and exceeded the 1.2 trillion jin mark for 2 consecutive years, this year farmers' income growth achieved an "eleventh consecutive rapid increase," and the growth rate of farmers' income will exceed that of gross domestic product and urban residents' income for the 5th consecutive year, and the urban-rural income ratio is expected to narrow to within 3:1.
Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu said that the good situation in the agricultural and rural economy has provided strong support for "stabilizing growth, adjusting structure, promoting reform, and improving people's livelihoods" under the new normal, and has played the role of the "stabilizing anchor" for the overall economic and social development situation. It is understood that stabilizing grain production and increasing income became the highlights of the whole year. Supplies of cotton, oil, sugar, fruit, vegetables, tea, meat, eggs, milk, aquatic products and other products were ample, and the market operated generally smoothly. No major agricultural product quality and safety incidents or regional major animal epidemics occurred throughout the year. Agricultural machinery, agricultural reclamation, and the agricultural product processing industry developed steadily, rural reform advanced solidly, and new steps were made in the registration and certification of land contractual management rights, innovation in the agricultural management system, and reform of target prices for agricultural products. Reform of the seed industry, agricultural reclamation, and rural finance advanced steadily, and new progress was made in the construction of rural reform pilot areas and national modern agriculture demonstration zones.
A policy support system covering all areas and links of agricultural production has taken initial shape. In 2014, China's agricultural system actively promoted the introduction of subsidies for registration and certification work, and launched subsidy pilot programs for the treatment and restoration of heavy metal-contaminated cultivated land, resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure, and expansion of beef cattle and mutton sheep breeding stock; new breakthroughs were achieved in financial and insurance support for agriculture, and various financial support-for-agriculture pilot experiments were carried out one after another; efforts were made to increase support for farmers' income growth, and multiple measures were taken to promote farmers' employment and income growth.
The production and supply of "vegetable basket" products are guaranteed. Large-scale and standardized production of horticultural crops reached a new level, and the area and output of vegetables and fruits achieved a "double increase." The transformation and upgrading of the livestock industry were promoted, and large-scale and standardized breeding was guided. It is estimated that annual meat and milk output will increase by 0.8% and 6.6% respectively over the previous year. Ecological protection of fishery waters was strengthened, and modern fishery construction was advanced. It is estimated that annual aquatic product output will increase by 3.7% over the previous year.
Support from agricultural science and technology, equipment, and talent was strengthened. It is estimated that this year the contribution rate of agricultural scientific and technological progress will reach 56%, and the comprehensive mechanization level of crop cultivation, planting, and harvesting will exceed 61%. The Ministry of Agriculture stated that this year China accelerated the construction of a new mechanism for the development of the modern seed industry, created a new mechanism for joint research by industry, academia, and research institutions on improved varieties, and promoted mechanization in weak links such as rapeseed, cotton, and sugarcane.