Rural Informatization Construction Promotes the Integrated Development of the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Industries in Rural Areas

Original title: Use "Internet Plus Agriculture" to Promote the Integration of the Three Industries

Premier Li Keqiang proposed in this year's government work report that we should "promote e-commerce in rural areas." At a time when China's economy faces downward pressure, the deep integrated development of the modern internet and traditional agriculture can effectively link every segment of the industry, from technology, production, processing and sales to logistics and technical services, restructure the agricultural industry chain, and give rise to new agricultural development models. It is an effective way to promote the integrated development of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries in agriculture.

"Internet Plus Agriculture" has the following four major characteristics: First, running agriculture with internet thinking can break the limits of time and space, promote direct connection between the supply and demand sides of specialty agricultural products, and help agriculture combine individualized production with intensive production. Second, "Internet Plus Agriculture" can make full use of new-generation information technologies such as the mobile internet, big data, cloud computing and the Internet of Things to achieve cross-sector integration with agriculture and effectively solve the problem of technical services in agricultural production. Farmers can buy needed agricultural materials and machinery through e-commerce, and obtain agricultural technical guidance on pest and disease control, fertilization and pesticide use, so as to farm scientifically. By forming information and technology service platforms through the internet, precision production and smart production can be achieved. Third, "Internet Plus Agriculture" can promote integration, penetration and cross-restructuring among the primary, secondary and tertiary industries in rural areas, realize integrated operation, and drive the intensive development of the rural economy. Fourth, "Internet Plus Agriculture" helps achieve traceability of agricultural product quality and safety, allowing consumers to learn the full-chain information of a product before, during and after production simply by scanning a code.

"Internet Plus" has become an important force driving the transformation and upgrading of agriculture. The state should speed up rural informatization construction, make "Internet Plus" a new driving force for rural development, and let more and more farmers benefit from the internet.

To accelerate the implementation of "Internet Plus Agriculture" and promote the integrated development of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries, we should start from the following 3 aspects:

First, accelerate the construction of rural informatization infrastructure, implement the project of bringing optical fiber into villages and households, and build rural information service stations. Include supporting facilities for rural e-commerce in the overall planning of new rural construction for coordinated consideration, and provide policy support for the construction of needed software and hardware facilities. At the same time, improve and perfect the rural logistics distribution system, focus on strengthening the construction of markets at agricultural production origins and the circulation system, actively develop agricultural product e-commerce, and improve the cold-chain logistics and distribution capacity for fresh-product e-commerce.

Second, promote the full integration of the internet and agriculture. Build an "Internet Plus Agriculture" development pattern featuring participation by multiple parties, including the government, leading agricultural enterprises, farmers' professional cooperatives and large-scale growers, and market-based operation, so as to promote the integrated development of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries. Cultivate market entities for rural e-commerce, deeply advance "e-commerce into rural areas," and promote both "online goods going to the countryside" and "agricultural products entering the cities." More modern agricultural technologies, means of production and agricultural machinery should be brought into family farms and professional cooperatives, and more high-standard agricultural product brands should be brought to the market and taken abroad.

Third, accelerate the training of rural e-commerce talent. Governments at all levels and competent departments of vocational education should carry out targeted training for leading agricultural enterprises, large-scale growers and farmers' professional cooperative organizations, and guide new-type professional farmers, family farm owners and cooperative members to become market entities that possess internet thinking and master information technology.

(The author Li Shiqiang is a deputy to the National People's Congress and secretary of the Party branch of Lizhai Village, Fengying Township, Shenqiu County, Henan Province)

(Compiled by Zhao Pengfei, reporter of this newspaper)