How can idle rural land be revitalized and put to use?
It is not only the state that cares about the "three rural issues" of agriculture, rural areas and farmers; every one of us should care, because these matters concern our own vital interests!
As urbanization accelerates, a large amount of rural land in our country has been left idle. The extensive idling of rural land not only causes serious waste of land resources, but also hinders the development of villages and seriously interferes with the progress of new rural development and construction. Therefore, bringing idle rural land "to life" can raise the utilization rate of rural land and also promote the harmonious development of the new countryside. This has very important practical significance. Now let Agriculture Jun (official account: nyguancha) explain the issue of idle rural land for everyone!
What is idle land?
Idle land refers to state-owned construction land where the holder of the state-owned construction land use right has failed to start development for a full year beyond the commencement date agreed or stipulated in the paid-use contract or the allocation decision for the state-owned construction land use right. State-owned construction land where development has started but the developed construction land area accounts for less than one third of the total construction land area that should have been developed, or where the invested amount accounts for less than 25 percent of the total investment, and where development has been suspended for a full year, may also be recognized as idle land.
Why does idle rural land appear?
Nowadays, idle land has appeared in many places, but why does this situation occur? Below, the author introduces it for you.
1. Reduction of the rural labor force
Among the people remaining in rural areas now, very few are in the prime of life; most young and middle-aged people have gone out to work, and those left in the villages are the elderly, or some women and children. With a population like this, the labor force has clearly declined, so rural land is left idle!
2. The "scheme" of local governments
Many of us think land makes money and use land to make money, but have you ever considered that the distribution of land revenue mainly comes from the government's revenue? Governments in many places try every possible means to transfer more land, so that the land can generate greater returns and local governments can take a larger share! This in turn creates idle land!
3. Caused by developers hoarding land for speculation
As urbanization in our country continues to deepen, this determines that land market prices in our country are showing an upward trend, indicating relatively large room for future appreciation. So many people are optimistic about this sector, but because the risk of land hoarding and speculation is relatively small, this prompts some "black-hearted" developers to only hoard and trade land without actively building houses. This lets those developers "take advantage" and causes a large amount of land to sit idle.
4. Incomplete infrastructure
In many remote areas now, the emergence of large amounts of idle land is not due to anything else, but because development conditions are lacking; the land sits idle because the infrastructure is incomplete, and in this way new rural development cannot proceed at all!
What are the harms of idle rural land?
Many areas are affected to some extent by idle rural land, so what are the harms of idle rural land?
1. Causing reduced grain output
The idling of large amounts of arable farmland worsens our country's already low per capita arable land, and in addition, the enthusiasm of farmers in rural areas is being destroyed bit by bit; their enthusiasm for growing grain is not high, which means farmers' basic rations cannot be fundamentally guaranteed and, to a large extent, poses a threat to our country's grain output!
2. Leading to deterioration of the agricultural ecological environment
Long-term idling of agricultural land causes the quality of cultivated land to gradually decline. Long-term development will lead to the loss of soil organic matter, the appearance of soil desertification, or a trend toward alkalinization and acidification, reducing the land's productive capacity and affecting crop cultivation. At the same time, it also seriously affects surrounding non-idle land, damages the ecological environment, causes a decline in cultivated land quality, accelerates the deterioration of land quality, and brings great harm to agricultural production.
3. Causing a large amount of real estate to be unable to proceed with development
Idle land prevents a large amount of real estate from being developed in time, causing the supply of already-developed real estate to tighten, and developed enterprises take the opportunity to raise prices. The false appearance of oversupply in the market, together with the reality that most people cannot afford housing, increases factors of social instability and intensifies social conflicts.
How can idle rural land be brought "to life"?
Since idle land can bring such great harm and impact, we should not waste such a "good opportunity." Let idle rural land no longer be "idle." See whether these clever measures work?
1. Clean up idle rural homesteads
The existence of idle rural homesteads causes enormous waste of land resources and is not conducive to the sustainable development of rural areas. In view of this situation, publicity in rural areas needs to be strengthened so that the broad masses of farmers understand and become familiar with relevant land laws and regulations, and understand their own rights and obligations regarding land. At the same time, planning and renovation of old villages should be strengthened, and idle homesteads and vacant land in villages should be cleaned up.
2. Renovate idle rural land
The government can open some public cultural service venues on idle land. The author suggests increasing funding input for the renovation of idle land, combining it with new rural construction, re-planning, renovating and rationally utilizing idle land, and making full use of the resources brought by idle rural land. This provides supporting facilities for farmers to raise the level of rural spiritual culture, thereby energizing the cultural life of rural people.
3. Use business concepts to revitalize idle land
1) Rent it to enterprises
Difficulty in obtaining land for enterprises is currently one of the bottlenecks in investment attraction work. Bringing enterprises in to "combine" production workshops with idle land can both solve the land-use difficulty and revitalize idle rural land. This is called rational use!
2) Rent it to farmers
Farmers can "make money" through land transfer or other methods. Anyway, land is idle whether it is used or not, or they can grow something on the land and sell it after it matures. The author thinks this is also a good idea!
4. Develop a distinctive tourism economy
In recent years, with the vigorous development of agricultural tourism, various elements in rural areas have been revitalized, including idle rural land. Some quicker-thinking people long ago leased those idle rural plots, converted them into tourist attractions, and added some local customs, making them even more "delicious"!
5. Develop leisure agriculture
It is said that in the past two years, leisure agriculture has developed at an astonishing speed! If you can make good use of this idle rural land, perhaps you could become a millionaire? Locally, you can develop distinctive planting and breeding industries and do rural sightseeing agriculture, achieving considerable economic benefits. Using that idle land to establish a "farmhouse" will surely be popular locally, letting city people find a return to simplicity and a feeling of returning to nature, relieving stress and relaxing in tranquility and simplicity, thereby increasing income and becoming wealthy. This is the rhythm of a "win-win"!
Cleaning up and disposing of idle land is an arduous and special task for land departments. We must strictly prohibit idle land, cooperate with local governments to do this work well, carefully, solidly and effectively, contribute to the economic development of local governments, and produce due achievements for the continuous deepening of land management work. As for those idle plots of land, we must use them effectively and minimize the impact on us! Let our countryside move toward the direction of a new countryside!