Internet Plus agriculture does not work by simply adding the two together

Agricultural and grain conditions vary widely across China, and only a few places in certain fields can achieve information-based applications. Therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach should not be taken, nor should "plus the Internet" be pursued blindly. A true "Internet Plus agriculture" must properly handle the relationship between the government and the market. The pragmatic step now is to explore a sustainable development mechanism that closely combines public-benefit services with commercial services, ultimately achieving the government "building the roads," enterprises "driving the cars," and farmers and consumers "collecting the goods."

A few days ago, the Ministry of Agriculture and two other departments jointly issued the "Action Plan for Advancing the Development of Agricultural E-commerce," and the Ministry of Commerce and 18 other departments released the "Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Rural E-commerce"... A series of news items about "Internet Plus agriculture" has attracted considerable attention. Localities are responding swiftly and following up actively.

Agriculture and rural areas indeed need "Internet Plus," and consumers are also full of expectations for "Internet Plus agriculture." At present, traditional agriculture still basically depends on the weather. Whether in planting or breeding, from production to distribution, overall there is neither the support of agricultural big data nor generally the support of the agricultural Internet of Things. "Internet Plus" can effectively serve the entire agricultural industry chain. The solutions and tools provided by Internet thinking make the connection between production and sales more precise and efficient, and also force agriculture to raise its own level of standardization, scale and organization.

Admittedly, developing modern agriculture requires an industrial mindset as well as Internet thinking, but "Internet Plus" cannot cure all ills. One must not pursue e-commerce for the sake of e-commerce, nor blindly "plus the Internet" in pursuit of quick success. After all, agriculture is different from industry and the information industry. Agricultural and grain conditions vary widely across China, so a one-size-fits-all approach is unsuitable. Although many places have achieved mechanization in the main planting stages, only a few places in certain fields can achieve information-based applications. Moreover, the application of information technology in agriculture mostly remains at the trial and demonstration stage. Research on agricultural information technology is disconnected from production, and the task of converting it into real productivity remains arduous.

The core of "Internet Plus agriculture" development is to properly handle the relationship between the government and the market. It is necessary both to fully give play to the decisive role of the market in allocating resources and for the government to earnestly assume its responsibility to provide public goods and services. The pragmatic step now is to explore a sustainable development mechanism that closely combines public-benefit services with commercial services, ultimately achieving the government "building the roads," enterprises "driving the cars," and farmers and consumers "collecting the goods."

Specifically, in advancing agricultural e-commerce, relevant departments should have an open and inclusive mindset. As long as it benefits farmers and agriculture, it should be welcomed and supported. It is necessary to fully mobilize the enthusiasm of operators and service providers so that they can earn reasonable profits and achieve sustainable operations. Through policy measures, it is necessary to solve the things that a single e-commerce enterprise wanted to do in the past but could not do well, and to remove the institutional and mechanistic obstacles to the development of agricultural e-commerce. For example, rural logistics and distribution need to be advanced as a whole within the county area in order to reduce costs; the preferential support measures for land use, electricity use and network use that e-commerce businesses have long awaited must also be implemented as soon as possible.

At the same time, sound rural information infrastructure is the guarantee for development. High-speed rail, expressways and airports cannot be built all the way to villages, but the "information superhighway" can absolutely reach villages and households. Government departments in all localities should accelerate extending Internet coverage to rural areas so that the fruits of informatization benefit more farmers. This is a fundamental measure for narrowing the urban-rural digital divide. Relevant departments should also earnestly fulfill their responsibilities in statistics, standards and supervision in the field of agricultural informatization.

"Internet Plus agriculture" requires rationality and resilience. The intervention of the Internet in agriculture will not immediately produce a so-called disruptive revolution, but every small step now is a big step for the future.