The Power of Agglomeration and Fission in the Development of Modern Agriculture Demonstration Zones
In the Heilongjiang Modern Agriculture Demonstration Zone, "electric donkeys" have not only been replaced by high-horsepower agricultural machinery, but also equipped with GPS systems. High technologies such as satellite remote sensing and the Internet of Things have also been implemented in the black soil. Technicians at Qixing Farm told reporters that, take soil testing and formulated fertilization as an example: in the past, soil had to be collected manually and sent for testing and fertilizer formulation, but now one person with one machine can lightly click the mouse, and the fertilization formula for farmland can be accurately given.
Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu told reporters that productivity development is the core of modern agriculture demonstration zones. Each demonstration zone should base itself on regional advantages and industrial foundations, integrate resources, advance the development of agricultural science and technology equipment conditions, and promote agricultural mechanization and informatization.
⟦NL>⟧ Han Changfu said that in addition to strengthening the production capacity development of demonstration zones, it is also necessary to vigorously promote innovation in systems and mechanisms. It is necessary not only to guide and support the development of new types of business entities such as large planting and breeding households, family farms, farmers' cooperatives, and leading enterprises in agricultural industrialization, but also to cultivate new-type professional farmers and improve the agricultural socialized service system.
Nowadays, many modern agriculture demonstration zones are promoting innovation in systems and mechanisms. In Lujiang County, Anhui Province, leading enterprises and family farms cooperate closely to form an alliance with enterprises as the leader, cooperatives as the link, and family farms and specialized large households as the foundation. Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, has actively improved agricultural socialized service organizations, forming a three-level agricultural machinery service network of "villages as the foundation, towns as the backbone, and the city as the leader." Within the network there are 423 agricultural science and technology personnel, of whom 70% have a college degree or above.
In order to do a good job in developing demonstration zones and drive the development of modern agriculture in various places, the state has given large investments to demonstration zones. From 2011 to 2013, the central government arranged 600 million yuan, focusing on demonstration zone development, and in 2013 the Ministry of Agriculture also specially arranged 210 million yuan in "reward instead of subsidy" funds to support pilot reforms in demonstration zones.
As agricultural production and operation become increasingly large-scale, the demand for agricultural financing has become more urgent. Some demonstration zones have encountered problems such as funding shortages and poor financing channels. These problems are not only difficulties faced in the development of demonstration zones, but also common difficulties in the development of modern agriculture in various places.
Experts pointed out that developing modern agriculture involves many departments. At present, central and provincial departments such as water conservancy, agriculture, land, and forestry all have project funding support. The key is to achieve organic connection and coordination among project contents, and to advance the development of modern agriculture demonstration zones and modern agriculture in a coordinated way.
From the current perspective, the overall progress of each demonstration zone is relatively fast, but affected by factors such as development foundations and financial support, development among demonstration zones in different regions is not balanced. According to the Measures for Monitoring and Evaluating the Development Level of National Modern Agriculture Demonstration Zones (Trial), 14 demonstration zones have reached the score for basically achieving modernization, including 10 in the eastern region and 4 in the northeastern and western regions. Demonstration zones whose development is relatively lagging behind need to step up efforts, combine their own regional characteristics with "customized" approaches, and embark on a path of modern agricultural development with regional characteristics.