Four major agricultural reforms are steadily advancing: what do they involve?

Chen Xiwen, deputy head and director of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, pointed out in a recent report at China Agricultural University that the pilot program for the price formation mechanism of agricultural products, the agricultural support and protection system, land rights confirmation and registration, and reform of the household registration system - these four major reforms - are advancing steadily, and many more major policies will be introduced in the future.

He said that China's overall agricultural and rural situation is generally improving, mainly shown in two aspects: first, grain output has achieved "ten consecutive increases," rising by an average of more than 3.5 million jin per year; second, farmers' per capita income has continued to increase, and the situation in which the growth rate of farmers' per capita cash income is higher than that of urban residents has lasted for four and a half years, with the income gap between urban and rural residents continuously narrowing. At the same time, the supply and demand of China's major agricultural products and the structure of the rural economy are undergoing profound changes. Since 2010, all three major grains have shifted to net imports. The continuous increase in imports of agricultural products is due both to the growth in domestic demand for agricultural products and to the fact that international agricultural product prices are lower than domestic prices. Chinese farmers, agricultural product manufacturers, the state, and consumers all face the predicament of being unable to benefit, mainly for two reasons: first, agricultural labor productivity is low, per capita land ownership is too small, and the contribution of scientific and technological progress to agricultural production is not high; second, current international trade rules lead to drawbacks. China must not only strive to ensure the growth of major agricultural products, but should also take measures to strengthen China's position in international agricultural trade and consider the impact on future agricultural development.

Among the reform tasks proposed at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee, more than 50 are directly related to agriculture, involving aspects such as the rural land management system and reform of the investment system. Chen Xiwen said that the pilot program for the price formation mechanism of agricultural products, the agricultural support and protection system, land rights confirmation and registration, and reform of the household registration system are currently advancing steadily. The agricultural sector has never stopped the pace of reform, and many more major policies will be introduced in the future, such as reform of the land expropriation system, entry of collective land into the market, and mortgage and transfer of farmers' housing property rights, which are under study. Agriculture has no way out without reform, but many reforms concern the long-term stability and security of the country, so they must be carried out prudently, cannot be accomplished overnight, and must proceed step by step.