Science and Technology Action for Enhancing Agricultural Competitiveness: Ministry of Agriculture Studies and Deploys Its Implementation

Reported by our journalist Zhao Jingping. On June 29, Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu chaired an executive meeting of the Ministry of Agriculture, which reviewed and in principle approved the "Work Plan for Implementing the Science and Technology Action for Enhancing Agricultural Competitiveness." The meeting emphasized that it is necessary to thoroughly study the spirit of the National Conference on Science and Technology Innovation, implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the conference, and, in accordance with the requirements of the innovation-driven development strategy, fully understand the importance and urgency of "invigorating agriculture through science and technology," shift agricultural development onto the track of relying on scientific and technological progress, and give full play to the supporting and leading role of science and technology in promoting agricultural supply-side structural reform, advancing agricultural modernization, and achieving "improving quality and efficiency, transforming the development model, stabilizing grain production, and ensuring sustainable income growth," so as to enhance agriculture's quality, efficiency, competitiveness, and level of sustainable development.

The meeting pointed out that General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the National Conference on Science and Technology Innovation that "oriented toward the global frontiers of science and technology, oriented toward the main economic battlefield, and oriented toward major national needs" should be taken as the starting point for building China into a world science and technology power, and that China must persist in taking an independent innovation path with Chinese characteristics. Agricultural departments must raise their ideological understanding, vigorously advance innovation-driven development in the agricultural field, and treat the implementation of the Science and Technology Action for Enhancing Agricultural Competitiveness as an important measure to grasp; they must reasonably promote adjustments in the direction of science and technology, shore up shortcomings in "cost-saving and efficiency-enhancing, quality safety, and ecological safety," achieve safety, high efficiency, cost savings, and high quality on the basis of ensuring high yields, and conform to the development of modern agriculture; and they must, around the requirements of agricultural structural adjustment, optimize technical routes and technical measures and promote adjustments in industrial structure, layout, varieties, and so on. At the same time, the Science and Technology Action for Enhancing Agricultural Competitiveness must be well connected with the National Modern Agriculture Demonstration Zones and others, giving play to the main battlefield role of modern agriculture demonstration zones. After the "Work Plan" is issued, measures must be refined and work implementation must be vigorously pursued. The good experience and good models formed must be summarized and refined, and gradually replicated and promoted nationwide; the role of the modern agricultural industrial technology system must be fully brought into play, the resource advantages of all parties must be given play, and institutional and mechanism innovation must be carried out; implementation plans for specific industries must be organized and formulated to promote the early realization of the objectives and tasks proposed in the "Work Plan."

The meeting reviewed and in principle approved the "Operating Standards for the Rural Land Management Rights Transfer and Transaction Market (Trial)." The meeting emphasized that the central authorities attach great importance to the construction and standardization of the land management rights transfer and transaction market, and agricultural departments at all levels must fully understand the importance and urgency of standardizing the rural land management rights transfer and transaction market, organize and guide it well, and do a good job in all work, so as to provide basic support for deepening rural land system reform, promoting and improving the "separation of three rights," and activating rural development vitality. Guidance, promotion, and publicity must be strengthened, all localities must be guided to regulate transfer and transaction behavior in accordance with the "Standards," the responsibilities and obligations of both parties to the transfer must be clarified, contractual awareness and risk awareness must be enhanced, and land transfer relationships must be stabilized.

The meeting reviewed and in principle approved three supporting regulations of the "Seed Law" ("Measures for the Examination and Approval of Major Crop Varieties," "Measures for the Administration of Crop Seed Production and Operation Licenses," and "Measures for the Administration of Crop Seed Labels"). The meeting required that after the supporting regulations are issued, guidance and supervision must be strengthened, publicity and training must be organized in a timely manner, and affairs must be handled strictly in accordance with the law. Market supervision must be strengthened, the new provisions of the "Seed Law" and its supporting regulations must be strictly implemented, efforts to crack down on illegal acts must be increased, and a market environment of fair competition must be maintained.

The meeting also studied other matters.