National Agricultural Work Conference Held in Beijing

On December 22-23, the National Agricultural Work Conference was held in Beijing. The conference thoroughly implemented the spirit of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Third and Fourth Plenary Sessions of the 18th Central Committee, as well as the Central Economic Work Conference and the Central Rural Work Conference, summarized the work of 2014, studied accelerating the transformation of agricultural development mode, optimizing and adjusting the agricultural structure, and advancing agricultural modernization, and deployed key work for 2015.

Conference delegates attended the Central Rural Work Conference as non-voting participants, listened to the important speech of Premier Li Keqiang and the concluding speech of Vice Premier Wang Yang, and discussed and exchanged their impressions of the learning experience. Everyone felt greatly encouraged and deeply educated, and also keenly aware of the heavy responsibility, further strengthening their confidence and determination to do a good job in agricultural and rural economic work. Han Changfu, Minister of Agriculture, pointed out in his speech at the conference that the decision-making and deployment of the Central Committee and the important speeches of the central leading comrades stand high, carry profound intent, and point in a clear direction. The national agricultural system must study earnestly, comprehend deeply, and ensure implementation, comprehensively complete the work tasks set forth by the Central Committee, and consolidate and develop the sound situation of the agricultural and rural economy.

The conference pointed out that in 2014, agricultural departments at all levels earnestly implemented the decision-making and deployment of the Central Committee, worked with vigor and solid effort, and the agricultural and rural economy achieved steady progress, steady improvement in quality, and steady increase in efficiency from a high starting point. Grain production achieved a record "eleventh consecutive increase," farmers' income achieved an "eleventh consecutive rapid increase," all agricultural industries developed steadily, and rural reform advanced solidly. The sound situation of the agricultural and rural economy provided strong support for "stabilizing growth, adjusting structure, promoting reform, and benefiting the people's livelihood" under the new normal, and played the role of a "stabilizing anchor" for the overall situation of stable economic and social development.

The conference focused on studying the issues of transforming the mode, adjusting the structure, and accelerating agricultural modernization. The conference pointed out that at present, for agricultural departments to adapt to the new normal and advance modern agricultural development, the most urgent task is to vigorously advance the transformation of agricultural development mode and structural adjustment. In accordance with the deployment and requirements of the Central Committee, we must adhere to taking reform as the driving force, science and technology as the guide, and the rule of law as the guarantee, and make every effort to advance "transforming the mode and adjusting the structure" in agricultural development. Transforming the mode focuses on truly shifting agricultural development from being mainly oriented toward quantity growth to placing equal emphasis on quantity, quality, and efficiency, and from relying on resources and material inputs to relying on scientific and technological progress and improving the quality of the labor force. Adjusting the structure focuses on, according to changes in market demand and the characteristics of resource endowments, scientifically determining the self-sufficiency level of major agricultural products, the priority order of production, and the regional layout, and, on the premise of ensuring "basic self-sufficiency in grains and absolute security of staple food," continuously optimizing the planting and breeding structure, product structure, and regional structure. We must pay more attention to improving grain production capacity and tapping new potential in grain production; pay more attention to the quality and safety of agricultural products and ensure "safety on the tip of the tongue"; pay more attention to technological innovation and innovation in business methods to promote agricultural efficiency and farmers' income growth; pay more attention to the protection of agricultural resources and the environment to achieve sustainable agricultural development; pay more attention to adapting to market demand and resource conditions to optimize and adjust the industrial structure; and pay more attention to utilizing both markets and both types of resources to improve agricultural competitiveness. We must pay attention to grasping the rhythm and methods, adhere to the basic principles of respecting farmers, respecting the market, respecting reality, and giving priority to ensuring grain, and improve the scientific nature of the work and the pertinence and effectiveness of policies.

The conference pointed out that next year, on the basis of doing a good job in routine work, we must closely focus on the main line of work of "stabilizing grain, increasing income, adjusting structure, improving quality, increasing efficiency, and transforming the mode," attack strongly from a high point to meet challenges, seize opportunities to open a new situation, deepen rural reform, advance scientific and technological innovation, strengthen the guarantee of the rule of law, accelerate the building of modern agriculture, and do everything possible to keep grain output stable at over 1,100 billion jin and keep the growth rate of farmers' income above 7.5%, strive to ensure that no major agricultural product quality and safety incidents and no regional major animal epidemics occur, continuously raise the contribution rate of agricultural scientific and technological progress and the utilization rate of agricultural resources, consolidate and develop the sound situation of the agricultural and rural economy, and provide strong support for the overall situation of economic and social development. We must highlight and solidly carry out the following key work: guide the orderly transfer of land management rights and develop appropriately scaled agricultural operations; expand the pilot program for confirming, registering, and certifying land contractual management rights to consolidate the foundation for innovation in the agricultural management system; advance the reform of the rural collective property rights system to protect farmers' property rights and interests; deepen the reform of the agricultural administrative law enforcement system to improve the level of law-based agricultural administration; deeply advance the construction of rural reform pilot zones and national modern agriculture demonstration zones to explore paths for rural reform and lead agricultural modernization; do a good job in tackling key problems in green yield-increasing models to stabilize the development of grain production; scientifically advance the adjustment of the planting structure to promote agricultural quality improvement and efficiency increase; vigorously develop beef and mutton production to build a new type of planting and breeding structure that balances grain and feed, combines agriculture and animal husbandry, and develops cyclically; advance the primary processing of agricultural products at the place of origin to help farmers reduce losses and increase income; develop agricultural product e-commerce to accelerate the pace of agricultural informatization; advance the reform of the agricultural science and technology system to accelerate the pace of agricultural scientific and technological innovation; accelerate the development of the modern seed industry to enhance the innovation capacity of the seed industry; promote the reform and development of agricultural reclamation to add vitality to its development; strengthen weak links in agricultural machinery operations and follow-up services to promote the sustainable development of agricultural mechanization; advance the integrated development of cultivating new-type professional farmers and fostering new-type agricultural business entities to build a high-quality team of modern agricultural production and operators; carry out activities to create national agricultural product quality and safety counties to strive to raise the level of agricultural product quality and safety; around the goal of "one control, two reductions, three basics," fight the tough battle of controlling agricultural non-point source pollution; improve the supervision system for pig slaughtering to ensure the quality and safety of livestock and poultry products; continuously carry out actions to clean up and rectify "networks that leave no survivors" to strengthen the protection of fishery resources and the environment; strengthen guidance and support for agriculture "going global" to expand the space for our country's agricultural development.

Han Changfu required that cadres in the agricultural system must innovate ideas, mechanisms, methods, and systems, and comprehensively improve their work ability and level. First, we must emancipate the mind and innovate development ideas. We must break free from fixed ways of thinking, break through work inertia, establish a broad pattern, open up broad ideas, and broaden our horizons, look at agriculture from an overall perspective, look at agriculture facing the future, and look at agriculture by stepping outside agriculture, and advance innovation in ideas, policy creation, and method creation for work related to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. Second, we must highlight key points and vigorously implement work. With the spirit of driving a nail, for things we are sure about, we must gather strength and exert effort, persevere without letting up, hammer one blow after another, and grasp one link after another, ensuring results are achieved. Third, we must seek truth and be pragmatic and strengthen investigation and research. The agricultural system must vigorously promote the style of investigation and research, adhere to a problem-oriented approach, go deep into the grassroots, and ask the people about their needs and ask the people for their advice. Fourth, we must be clean and diligent in government and tirelessly improve our work style. We must continue to deeply carry out "serving farmers" activities, persistently correct the "four forms of decadence," and continuously rectify conduct and discipline, deeply advance the construction of government and industry conduct, firmly grasp the implementation of the "two responsibilities" for building a clean government, and continue to deepen the reform of the administrative approval system.

Vice Minister of Agriculture Yu Xinrong presided over the meeting. Vice Minister Zhang Taolin read out the Ministry of Agriculture's commendation decision for advanced units and advanced individuals in national grain production. Twenty units made exchange speeches at the meeting. Leading comrades of the Ministry of Agriculture and principal responsible comrades of its departments and bureaus and directly affiliated units, responsible comrades of relevant departments of central ministries and commissions, and principal responsible comrades of the agriculture (agriculture and animal husbandry, rural economy) departments (bureaus, commissions) of all provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities), cities under separate state planning, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps attended the meeting.