Rural Work Conference Says Prices of Major Domestic Agricultural Products Exceed Import Prices
The Central Rural Work Conference was held. Currently, the prices of major domestic agricultural products exceed import prices. Agriculture has become a prominent “weak link” in the four modernizations.
“The consumption potential of farmers, the largest group, must be tapped”
According to Xinhua News Agency, the Central Rural Work Conference was held in Beijing from the 22nd to the 23rd. The conference discussed the “Several Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Further Deepening Rural Reform and Accelerating Agricultural Modernization (Discussion Draft).” Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council attended the conference and delivered an important speech.
The conference emphasized that as domestic and international environmental conditions change and the deep-seated contradictions accumulated from long-term extensive management gradually emerge, the challenges facing sustained and stable agricultural development are unprecedented. Currently, the prices of major domestic agricultural products exceed import prices, while production costs are continuously rising. The agricultural ecological environment has been damaged, and resources such as arable land and freshwater are tight.
The conference pointed out that agricultural modernization is the foundation and support of national modernization, and it is still a prominent “weak link” at present. The key difficulties in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects still lie in rural areas. China's economic development has entered a new normal. Accelerating agricultural modernization is of great significance for stabilizing growth, adjusting structure, and improving people's livelihood. Tapping the consumption potential of farmers, the largest group, can better leverage the foundational role of consumption; rural agricultural infrastructure and public services are lagging behind, and there is huge demand for new investment. Making good use of this space can better leverage the key role of investment; making the agricultural industry bigger and stronger can form many new industries, new business forms, and new models, and cultivate new growth points for the economy.
The conference emphasized that in advancing agricultural modernization, we must persist in taking the safeguarding of national food security as the primary task. First, vigorously develop agricultural industrialization. From simply looking for solutions on arable land to addressing the entire national land and resources, promote the integrated interaction of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. Second, actively develop various forms of appropriately scaled operations. Third, build resource-conserving and environment-friendly agriculture. Fourth, increase agricultural policy and funding support. Fifth, make good use of both markets and both types of resources.
■ Interpretation
1
“Sixth Industry” Is Poised to Emerge
[Conference Content] Vigorously develop agricultural industrialization, and propose introducing modern industrial organization methods such as industrial chains and value chains into agriculture, and promote the integrated interaction of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries.
[Interpretation] “The conference proposed the integration of the three industries, highlighting the new direction of China's agricultural industry development in the future.” Ye Xingqing, director of the Rural Department of the Development Research Center of the State Council, told reporters that the integrated interaction of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries is called the ‘sixth industry’ (1+2+3=6). Agriculture develops from simple crop production toward integration with agricultural product processing, circulation, and leisure service industries, thereby extending the industrial chain and realizing an increase in agricultural added value and farmers' income.
“The integration of the three industries is a major trend in agricultural development. East Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea have already explored relatively mature development experience. At present, agricultural development in some regions of China is approaching this stage. This is a new opportunity for China to move toward agricultural modernization and achieve quality improvement and efficiency enhancement.” said Li Guoxiang, a researcher at the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Zheng Fengtian, a professor at the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development at Renmin University of China, pointed out that in areas where conditions permit, the development of agricultural product processing and leisure agriculture should be promoted, so that modern agriculture can “connect two and link three,” connecting both with the “secondary industry” of processing and with the “tertiary industry” of leisure agriculture, extending the industrial chain of modern agriculture, and making the integration of the three industries a new growth pole driving China's agricultural and rural economic development.
2
“People-Centered New Countryside” Proposed for the First Time
[Conference Content] Actively and steadily advance the building of a new countryside, accelerate the improvement of the living environment, improve the quality of farmers, and promote the simultaneous advancement of building a “material new countryside” and a “people-centered new countryside.”
[Interpretation] “‘Material new countryside’ refers to the improvement of the living environment such as roads, drinking water, power facilities, and housing conditions. Advancing a ‘people-centered new countryside’ refers to establishing and improving basic rural public services, caring for the rural ‘three left-behind’ groups, preserving local culture, and building rural ecological civilization. The conference proposed a ‘people-centered new countryside’ for the first time, highlighting the central government's higher requirements for new countryside construction.” said Cheng Guoqiang, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council.
For a long time, China has paid more attention to the “material new countryside,” while insufficiently building and paying attention to the “people-centered new countryside.” At the same time, new situations have appeared in rural areas in recent years. The increase in “hollow villages” caused by farmers going out to work, and the prominent “three left-behind” problem mean that building a “people-centered new countryside” urgently needs to be put on the agenda.
As for how to advance the building of a “people-centered new countryside,” Cheng Guoqiang believes that, first, a care service system for left-behind elderly people, children, and women in rural areas should be established, and rural public services such as elderly care, education, and medical care should be established and improved, so that the “three left-behind” groups have support and guarantee; second, the protection of rural traditional culture and local culture should be done well, so that rural areas do not become desolate villages, villages of those left behind, and hometowns only in memory; third, the protection of the rural ecological environment should be done well.