Encourage land transfer for grain production
To encourage the transfer of land for grain production, support should focus on large-scale grain production, guide business entities to produce grain through relevant policies, and reduce grain production costs by reasonably guiding land transfer prices, so as to stabilize the area planted with grain. Reporter: At present, rural
To encourage the transfer of land for grain production, support should focus on large-scale grain production, guide business entities to produce grain through relevant policies, and reduce grain production costs by reasonably guiding land transfer prices, so as to stabilize the area planted with grain.
Reporter: What is the current situation of rural land management rights transfer, and what specific measures does the Opinions propose to guide orderly transfer?
Han Changfu: In recent years, rural land transfer has been accelerating. As the scale expands, land transfer has also shown a development trend of diverse entities and diverse forms. The transferee side is still mainly peasant households, but the proportion transferred to new types of agricultural business entities such as cooperatives and leading enterprises has gradually risen; subcontracting between members of rural collective economic organizations is still the main form of transfer, but the proportion of transfer forms such as leasing and share cooperation has risen relatively quickly.
On the whole, rural land transfer in China is generally stable and healthy, but there are also some problems that need attention and resolution. For example, some places forcibly promote land transfer and one-sidedly pursue the scale and proportion of transfer, infringing on farmers' lawful rights and interests; in some places the land transfer market is not sound and the level of services needs to be improved; some industrial and commercial enterprises lease farmers' contracted land for long periods and on large areas, and the problems of “non-grain” and “non-agricultural” use are relatively prominent. If these problems are not solved well, they will affect the orderly transfer of rural land and the healthy development of appropriately scaled agricultural operations.
In response to the above problems, and on the basis of summarizing practical experience at the grassroots level, the Opinions put forward specific measures in 4 aspects: First, adhere to the bottom line of land transfer. It is necessary to uphold collective ownership of rural land, uphold lawfulness, voluntariness and compensation, protect farmers' contract rights and interests, and avoid a great leap forward, coercive orders, and arbitrary administrative direction. It is necessary to ensure that transferred land is used for agricultural production, with key support for large-scale grain production. Second, encourage innovation in forms of land transfer. Encourage farmers to transfer contracted land on a long-term basis in various forms, encourage solving the problem of fragmented contracted land through exchange, steadily advance pilot programs for mortgage and guarantee of land management rights, and allow farmers to use contracted management rights as shares to develop industrialized agricultural operations, among other measures. Third, strictly regulate land transfer behavior. Respect farmers' principal position in transfer; village-level organizations may organize unified transfer only on the premise of written entrustment by farmer households, and it is prohibited to concentrate the contracted land of entire villages or groups for external investment promotion and operation in the name of the minority obeying the majority. Fourth, strengthen the construction of the land transfer service system.
Reporter: In recent years, the entry of industrial and commercial enterprises into agriculture has attracted widespread social attention. What provisions does the Opinions make on how to guide this well and prevent problems such as “non-grain” and “non-agricultural” use?
Han Changfu: Rural areas in China lack funds, talent and advanced management. To develop modern agriculture, the entry of industrial and commercial enterprises into agriculture is necessary. In recent years, while engaging in pre-production agricultural input supply and post-production agricultural product processing and sales, some industrial and commercial enterprises have also directly leased farmers' contracted land to engage in agricultural production links. By the end of June 2014, the area of contracted land transferred to enterprises had reached 38,647,000 mu, showing an upward trend year by year. From practical experience, direct land leasing and operation by industrial and commercial enterprises has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that it can bring fine varieties, advanced technology and business models; the disadvantage is that it squeezes out farmers' employment space and easily intensifies the tendency toward “non-grain” and “non-agricultural” use.
To encourage the transfer of land for grain production, the Opinions propose: First, through measures such as tilting new subsidies toward large-scale grain production operating entities, giving priority to arranging subsidies for the purchase of agricultural machinery and tools, carrying out pilot programs for producer subsidies, target price insurance, and marketing loans, and gradually realizing “full coverage where willing” for large-scale grain production operating entities, focus on supporting large-scale grain production; second, guide operating entities to produce grain through industrial planning in major grain-producing areas, grain production functional areas, and areas implementing high-yield creation projects, as well as relevant agricultural production support policies; third, reasonably guide land transfer prices to reduce grain production costs and stabilize the area planted with grain. Measures such as suspending direct grain subsidies, improved seed subsidies, and comprehensive agricultural input subsidies may be adopted to curb the abandonment of cultivated land.
To prevent industrial and commercial enterprises going to the countryside from triggering “non-agricultural” use, the Opinions make clear: First, encourage industrial and commercial capital to develop modern agriculture suitable for enterprise-based operation, such as fine seed and seedling breeding, high-standard facility agriculture, large-scale breeding, and development of rural “four wastelands” resources. Second, strengthen supervision and risk prevention for industrial and commercial enterprises leasing farmers' contracted land. This includes requiring all localities to have clear upper limits on industrial and commercial enterprises leasing farmers' contracted land for long periods and on large areas; establishing and improving the three systems of qualification review, project review and risk guarantee funds, strictly setting entry thresholds, and strengthening post-event supervision; regularly supervising and inspecting the agricultural operating capacity of land-leasing enterprises and the use of transferred contracted land, and promptly investigating, handling and correcting illegal and irregular behavior.
Reporter: What is the current situation of rural land management rights transfer, and what specific measures does the Opinions propose to guide orderly transfer?
Han Changfu: In recent years, rural land transfer has been accelerating. As the scale expands, land transfer has also shown a development trend of diverse entities and diverse forms. The transferee side is still mainly peasant households, but the proportion transferred to new types of agricultural business entities such as cooperatives and leading enterprises has gradually risen; subcontracting between members of rural collective economic organizations is still the main form of transfer, but the proportion of transfer forms such as leasing and share cooperation has risen relatively quickly.
On the whole, rural land transfer in China is generally stable and healthy, but there are also some problems that need attention and resolution. For example, some places forcibly promote land transfer and one-sidedly pursue the scale and proportion of transfer, infringing on farmers' lawful rights and interests; in some places the land transfer market is not sound and the level of services needs to be improved; some industrial and commercial enterprises lease farmers' contracted land for long periods and on large areas, and the problems of “non-grain” and “non-agricultural” use are relatively prominent. If these problems are not solved well, they will affect the orderly transfer of rural land and the healthy development of appropriately scaled agricultural operations.
In response to the above problems, and on the basis of summarizing practical experience at the grassroots level, the Opinions put forward specific measures in 4 aspects: First, adhere to the bottom line of land transfer. It is necessary to uphold collective ownership of rural land, uphold lawfulness, voluntariness and compensation, protect farmers' contract rights and interests, and avoid a great leap forward, coercive orders, and arbitrary administrative direction. It is necessary to ensure that transferred land is used for agricultural production, with key support for large-scale grain production. Second, encourage innovation in forms of land transfer. Encourage farmers to transfer contracted land on a long-term basis in various forms, encourage solving the problem of fragmented contracted land through exchange, steadily advance pilot programs for mortgage and guarantee of land management rights, and allow farmers to use contracted management rights as shares to develop industrialized agricultural operations, among other measures. Third, strictly regulate land transfer behavior. Respect farmers' principal position in transfer; village-level organizations may organize unified transfer only on the premise of written entrustment by farmer households, and it is prohibited to concentrate the contracted land of entire villages or groups for external investment promotion and operation in the name of the minority obeying the majority. Fourth, strengthen the construction of the land transfer service system.
Reporter: In recent years, the entry of industrial and commercial enterprises into agriculture has attracted widespread social attention. What provisions does the Opinions make on how to guide this well and prevent problems such as “non-grain” and “non-agricultural” use?
Han Changfu: Rural areas in China lack funds, talent and advanced management. To develop modern agriculture, the entry of industrial and commercial enterprises into agriculture is necessary. In recent years, while engaging in pre-production agricultural input supply and post-production agricultural product processing and sales, some industrial and commercial enterprises have also directly leased farmers' contracted land to engage in agricultural production links. By the end of June 2014, the area of contracted land transferred to enterprises had reached 38,647,000 mu, showing an upward trend year by year. From practical experience, direct land leasing and operation by industrial and commercial enterprises has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that it can bring fine varieties, advanced technology and business models; the disadvantage is that it squeezes out farmers' employment space and easily intensifies the tendency toward “non-grain” and “non-agricultural” use.
To encourage the transfer of land for grain production, the Opinions propose: First, through measures such as tilting new subsidies toward large-scale grain production operating entities, giving priority to arranging subsidies for the purchase of agricultural machinery and tools, carrying out pilot programs for producer subsidies, target price insurance, and marketing loans, and gradually realizing “full coverage where willing” for large-scale grain production operating entities, focus on supporting large-scale grain production; second, guide operating entities to produce grain through industrial planning in major grain-producing areas, grain production functional areas, and areas implementing high-yield creation projects, as well as relevant agricultural production support policies; third, reasonably guide land transfer prices to reduce grain production costs and stabilize the area planted with grain. Measures such as suspending direct grain subsidies, improved seed subsidies, and comprehensive agricultural input subsidies may be adopted to curb the abandonment of cultivated land.
To prevent industrial and commercial enterprises going to the countryside from triggering “non-agricultural” use, the Opinions make clear: First, encourage industrial and commercial capital to develop modern agriculture suitable for enterprise-based operation, such as fine seed and seedling breeding, high-standard facility agriculture, large-scale breeding, and development of rural “four wastelands” resources. Second, strengthen supervision and risk prevention for industrial and commercial enterprises leasing farmers' contracted land. This includes requiring all localities to have clear upper limits on industrial and commercial enterprises leasing farmers' contracted land for long periods and on large areas; establishing and improving the three systems of qualification review, project review and risk guarantee funds, strictly setting entry thresholds, and strengthening post-event supervision; regularly supervising and inspecting the agricultural operating capacity of land-leasing enterprises and the use of transferred contracted land, and promptly investigating, handling and correcting illegal and irregular behavior.