Central Rural Work Conference Deploys Bringing Industry Chains and Value Chains into Agriculture
The Central Rural Work Conference was held in Beijing from the 22nd to the 23rd. The conference thoroughly implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's series of important speeches, fully carried out the spirit of the 18th National Congress of the Party and the Third and Fourth Plenary Sessions of the 18th Central Committee as well as the Central Economic Work Conference, summarized agricultural and rural work in 2014, studied major measures for advancing agricultural modernization through reform and innovation, and comprehensively deployed agricultural and rural work for next year and the period ahead.
The Party Central Committee and the State Council attached great importance to this Central Rural Work Conference. The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the executive meeting of the State Council put forward clear requirements for convening this conference well and doing a good job in next year's agricultural and rural work. Li Keqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier 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 problems accumulated from long-term extensive management gradually emerge, the challenges facing sustained and stable agricultural development are unprecedented.
At present, the prices of major domestic agricultural products exceed import prices, while production costs are constantly rising. The agricultural ecological environment has been damaged, and resources such as arable land and fresh water are in short supply.
The conference pointed out that agricultural modernization is the foundation and support of national modernization, and it is still a prominent “weak link”; the key and difficult points in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects still lie in the rural areas.
The conference emphasized that in advancing agricultural modernization, we must persist in taking the safeguarding of national food security as the primary task and ensure that grain is basically self-sufficient and that staple food is absolutely safe. We must innovate mechanisms, improve policies, and strive to do all work well. First, vigorously develop agricultural industrialization. On the basis of stabilizing grain production, actively advance the adjustment of the agricultural structure, rely on scientific and technological support, shift from “production orientation” to “consumption orientation,” and move from simply looking for solutions on arable land to addressing the entire national land and resources, build an advantageous regional layout and a specialized production pattern, and accelerate the integration of farming and animal husbandry. We must bring modern industrial organization methods such as industry chains and value chains into agriculture and promote the integrated interaction of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries.
Second, actively develop moderate-scale operations in various forms. We must guide and standardize the orderly transfer of land management rights, develop various new types of agricultural business entities, adhere to giving priority to grain and agriculture, avoid “de-grainization,” and resolutely prohibit the “de-agriculturalization” of arable land. Moderate-scale operations may take many different forms; we must adapt to local conditions, fully give play to the pioneering spirit of the grassroots and the masses, and allow “exploration, exploration, and more exploration.” As long as it conforms to national laws and policies, conforms to the direction of reform, and is welcomed by farmers, no matter what form it takes, it must be encouraged and supported.
Third, build a resource-conserving and environment-friendly agriculture. We must take comprehensive measures, reduce the excessive use of agricultural inputs, gradually withdraw production that exceeds the carrying capacity of resources and the environment, advance the conversion and utilization of agricultural waste, promote the restoration and treatment of damaged ecological environments, strengthen the construction of arable land quality, and strictly protect arable land and water resources.
Fourth, increase agricultural policy and funding input. No matter how tight fiscal resources are, it is necessary to ensure that agricultural input only increases and does not decrease. We must coordinate and integrate agriculture-related funds, innovate agricultural investment and financing mechanisms, and improve the financial system supporting agriculture.
Fifth, make good use of both markets and both resources. We must improve the system for international agricultural exchange and cooperation and innovate the methods of agricultural foreign cooperation.
The conference required giving full play to the radiating and driving role of new urbanization in agricultural modernization. Efforts should be focused on solving the existing “three 100 million people” issue, innovating ways for cities to lead the countryside and industry to promote agriculture, guiding the flow of modern urban production factors to agriculture and rural areas, and promoting farmers' income growth through multiple channels.
The conference discussed the “Several Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Further Deepening Rural Reform and Accelerating Agricultural Modernization (Discussion Draft).” (Xinhua News Agency)