Developing creative agriculture, broadening channels for increasing farmers' income
Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council presided over an executive meeting of the State Council on October 8, at which the "National Agricultural Modernization Plan" was adopted to promote agricultural upgrading, rural development and farmers' income growth. It specifically mentioned developing new business forms such as deep processing of agricultural products and e-commerce, and creative leisure agriculture, to increase farmers' income through multiple channels.
Creative agriculture originated in the late 1990s. Due to the innovative development of agricultural technology and the expansion of agricultural functions, sightseeing agriculture, leisure agriculture, refined agriculture and ecological agriculture developed one after another; at the same time, the concept of creative industries also took shape in countries and regions such as the United Kingdom and Australia and rapidly expanded globally. With the help of the thinking logic and development concepts of creative industries, people effectively integrated technological and humanistic elements into agricultural production, further expanded agricultural functions, integrated resources, and developed traditional agriculture into modern agriculture integrating production, life and ecology, namely today's creative agriculture.
In the author's understanding, creative agriculture is a general term for sightseeing agriculture, leisure agriculture, refined agriculture, ecological agriculture, etc. The so-called creative agriculture refers to modern comprehensive agriculture that, on the basis of innovative development of agricultural technology, relies on local rich tourism resources and distinctive agricultural and sideline products, and with the help of the thinking logic and development concepts of creative industries, introduces technological and humanistic elements into agricultural production to develop an integration of production, life, leisure and tourism. Among them, sightseeing agriculture is a new type of ecological tourism with agriculture and rural areas as its carrier, namely rural tourism. Examples include sightseeing farms and folk-custom sightseeing villages. Refined agriculture relies on traditional agricultural techniques and scientific and technological progress, aims to produce agricultural products of high quality, high technological content and high added value, and realizes a whole agricultural production process of high quality, high efficiency and high level. Its foundation is high input and high technology, its core is high standardization and high quality, and its characteristics are refinement and distinctiveness. It requires intensive cultivation and high quality to meet the market's quality requirements for agricultural products and their processed products. Ecological agriculture is modern, efficient agriculture established in accordance with ecological principles and economic principles, using modern scientific and technological achievements and modern management methods, as well as the effective experience of traditional agriculture, and capable of achieving relatively high economic, ecological and social benefits.
The direct purpose of developing creative agriculture is to promote increased agricultural production, increased farmers' income and rural prosperity, drive the comprehensive development of the rural economy and society, and serve the construction of a new socialist countryside. With the improvement of people's living standards, the growth of diversified demands and the pursuit of quality of life, the prospects for developing creative agriculture are very broad. It can not only provide good places for urban residents' holiday travel, leisure and entertainment, but also create conditions for increasing farmers' income, which is conducive to promoting the prosperity and development of the rural economy. Therefore, relevant departments should give support and encouragement in areas such as project approval, land transfer, tax reductions and exemptions, and entrepreneurial funds.
To develop creative agriculture, it is necessary to proceed from local realities, adapt measures to local conditions, integrate resources, give play to advantages, plan scientifically and arrange rationally. It is necessary to strengthen market research, fully consider the return on investment, reduce investment risks, and ensure good expected returns on investment. It is necessary to highlight characteristics, focus on quality, attach importance to marketing and publicity, and strive to build a good image. It is necessary to fully absorb local farmers for employment and arrange surplus rural labor to work near their homes. It is necessary to adhere to the new concept of green development, protect the ecological environment, and not allow the ecology to be damaged because of rural development, opening up and tourism.