How can agricultural supply-side reform gain traction at the local level?
Agricultural supply-side reform is a new proposition and also a new practice. In recent years, Qujiang District in Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province, has taken reassurance agriculture as a growth point of supply-side reform, taken the development of family farms as the entry point to promote land concentration, and issued institutions covering the three major links of agricultural product production, sales and supervision, and eight aspects, namely Qujiang's eight major systems for reassurance agriculture, actively building reassurance agriculture in Qujiang District, enabling a major agricultural district to stride toward becoming a strong agricultural district. On June 18, the unveiling ceremony of the comprehensive deepening of reform county (district) observation point of the newspaper and periodical office of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the high-level seminar on agricultural supply-side reform "Reassurance Agriculture: Qujiang Model" were held in Qujiang District, Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province. More than ten experts and scholars conducted discussions around topics such as the prominent problems in China's agriculture at the current stage, how to promote agricultural supply-side reform, and how to develop reassurance agriculture.
Wu Jiangping, Secretary of the Qujiang District Party Committee, introduced the development situation of reassurance agriculture in Qujiang District under the title "Qujiang Practice of Agricultural Supply-side Reform."
Why develop reassurance agriculture? Wu Jiangping believes that in agricultural work, what ultimately matters is the product, and with regard to products, what people are currently most concerned about is the issue of safety and the issue of reassurance. What ordinary people want is just two words: reassurance. How to achieve "reassurance"? Since 2013, Qujiang District has carried out systematic planning and step-by-step advancement, moving toward "reassurance agriculture" with one key focus each year, starting from the production link to make agricultural products reassuring, regulating the development of reassurance agriculture at the institutional level, expanding the influence of reassurance agriculture through brand building, and starting from capital operations to elevate the overall development level of Qujiang's agricultural enterprises.
What role should the government play? Wu Jiangping proposed that the government should lead in adjusting the way government funds are used, bridge the market and farmers, rely on scientific and technological strength, gather high-end factors, and promote the development of ecological circular agriculture. Wu Jiangping said that after efforts, the whole district has formed three major agricultural sectors: the Lianhua traditional agriculture upgrading area, with the goal of building a Chinese circular agriculture characteristic town; the Quanwang modern agriculture demonstration area, with the goal of building a Chinese modern ecological agriculture demonstration area; and the Fuli rural comprehensive reform pilot area, which is planned to build a Chinese smart agriculture characteristic town.
At the meeting, experts spoke highly of the practice of Qujiang District in developing reassurance agriculture and carrying out supply-side structural reform of agriculture, and at the same time actively offered suggestions for Qujiang to deepen the development of reassurance agriculture, "taking the pulse" of the development direction of agricultural supply-side reform.
Experts believe that the main contradiction in China's agricultural development at the current stage is a structural problem and a supply-side problem. The focus of solving the agricultural supply-side problem is to grasp the quality of agricultural products and food safety; it is necessary to innovate and develop agricultural concepts to develop agriculture, and to unify production, ecology and life; in addition, agricultural supply-side reform must truly achieve value increase, efficiency increase and income increase. It is not acceptable for agriculture to increase output without increasing value, and if agriculture increases in value but comprehensive benefits do not rise, that is also not acceptable. If the first two both "increase" but farmers' incomes do not increase, there is also no meaning.
Experts at the meeting emphasized that agricultural supply-side reform must solve the unification of the quality and safety of agricultural products, production efficiency and efficiency, and market competitiveness, fully give play to the enthusiasm and initiative of the government, enterprises, social organizations and farmers, and the key is to mobilize farmers' enthusiasm. Years of agricultural reform have proved that what can truly bring major influence to rural society is solving the problem of how to mobilize farmers' enthusiasm and enable farmers to truly participate. Reassurance agriculture is not only about being reassured about products; the most critical thing is to let farmers work with reassurance.
Experts believe that "reassurance agriculture" has rich connotations. Generally speaking, food safety is discussed from the perspective of pure consumers. But what "reassurance agriculture" focuses on is not a simple food safety issue. If it is not done well, agriculture can also pollute the environment and create a burden on land. "Reassurance agriculture" is not only about letting consumers eat with reassurance, but also a consideration of the safety of the ecosystem.
The key word of "reassurance agriculture" lies in "reassurance." Experts believe that "reassurance" can be divided into three levels. The first is reassurance at the quantitative level, namely the issue of whether people can eat their fill and whether agricultural products increase output and income; the second is reassurance at the quality level, namely whether eating will cause harm or problems, and whether something is toxic or harmful; the third is reassurance at the development level, namely whether it can be sustainable. The reason Qujiang has been able to make agricultural supply-side reform and reassurance agriculture distinctive and brilliant is that Qujiang, according to China's current main contradiction and national conditions, chose an organic balance point among the three "reassurances" and better coordinated the relationship among the three. It is not simply about quantity, nor simply about quality, and even less simply about future-level sustainable development. Rather, by "facing the market, relying on science and technology, and stimulating society," it transforms the mode of agricultural production, enables farmers to truly integrate into the market itself, lets market mechanisms force improvements in the quality, safety and level of agricultural products, relies on the power of science and technology to build platforms and construct a credit system, and at the same time stimulates and mobilizes farmers' enthusiasm and consumers' enthusiasm for participation.
Regarding how to further develop reassurance agriculture in the future, experts at the meeting gave pertinent suggestions. Experts believe that the government, social organizations, enterprises and farmers should clarify their respective responsibilities and roles, and should fully give play to the different roles of the four subjects. First, the government. The government should clarify its own role positioning. The requirements of agricultural supply-side reform are to adjust structure, improve quality and promote integration, and the key tasks are to reduce inventory, lower costs and shore up weaknesses. The government should provide help in policy, market, information, services and technical training, support and guide the development of new types of business entities, and create an environment of fair competition. Second, social organizations. The participation of social organizations is extremely important. Agriculture in China's Taiwan region is evaluated and controlled by social organizations, and agricultural products can form a brand after testing. This practice is worth learning from. Third, enterprises. E-commerce companies, agricultural companies and others should fully give play to the roles of capital operation, quality improvement, and operation and circulation, develop high-quality agricultural products, and promote agricultural quality improvement and efficiency increase. Fourth, farmers. How to fully mobilize farmers' enthusiasm, enable farmers to truly actively implement and promote the district Party committee and district government's reassurance agriculture strategy, and regard it as their own undertaking, is a question worthy of deep thought.
What kind of model exactly is the "Qujiang Model"? The meeting summarized the five "Qujiang manifestations" of the "Qujiang Model." The first is the "Qujiang manifestation" of ecological civilization thought. The emergence of Qujiang reassurance agriculture is not accidental; it is closely related to the thought that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," and is the manifestation of ecological civilization thought in Qujiang. The second is the "Qujiang manifestation" of the people-centered development thought. The focus of green agriculture and organic food is the product itself, while the focus of reassurance agriculture is consumers. The shift in focus from the product itself to consumers is the manifestation of the people-centered development ideal. The third is the "Qujiang manifestation" of the new five major development concepts. Qujiang reassurance agriculture embodies "innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing," and is a vivid manifestation of the new five major development concepts. The fourth is the "Qujiang manifestation" of the spirit of being courageous in taking responsibility and good at taking responsibility. As district and county-level leaders, how to creatively practice the major development concepts put forward by the central government is a kind of political manifestation. Being able to propose reassurance agriculture is itself a kind of commitment and a spirit of responsibility. The fifth is the "Qujiang manifestation" of the modernization of national governance capacity. Qujiang's exploratory practice in the modernization of governance capacity is commendable. What kind of breakthrough point to choose, where to start, and how to formulate a road map, Qujiang has made efforts, and the direction of its efforts is worthy of affirmation and worthy of study.