Overview of the Latest Agricultural Subsidy Policies in 2015
The latest agricultural subsidy projects and agricultural subsidy policy measures introduced by the state in 2015 to deepen rural reform, support grain production, and promote farmers' income growth. What are the agricultural subsidy projects in 2015? What are the agricultural subsidy policies?
1. Direct Grain Subsidy Policy
The central government finance will continue to implement direct subsidies to grain farmers. In principle, the subsidy funds are required to be distributed to farmers engaged in grain production, with the specifics to be determined by each provincial-level people's government according to actual conditions. In January 2014, the central government finance had already pre-allocated 15.1 billion yuan in direct grain subsidy funds for 2015 to all provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities).
2. Comprehensive Agricultural Input Subsidy Policy
In January 2015, the central government finance had already pre-allocated 107.1 billion yuan in comprehensive agricultural input subsidy funds to all provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities).
3. Improved Seed Subsidy Policy
A subsidy of 10 yuan per mu for wheat, corn, soybean, rapeseed, and highland barley. Among these, the improved seed subsidy for wheat in ** regions is 15 yuan; the subsidy for rice and cotton is 15 yuan per mu; for potatoes, the subsidy for first- and second-grade seed potatoes is 100 yuan per mu; for peanuts, the subsidy for improved seed breeding is 50 yuan per mu, and 10 yuan per mu for field production.
4. Agricultural Machinery Purchase Subsidy Policy
The central government finance's agricultural machinery purchase subsidy funds are implemented as fixed-amount subsidies, meaning the same type and same grade of agricultural machinery applies a unified subsidy standard within the provincial territory.
5. Pilot Policy for Subsidies for Scrapping and Updating Agricultural Machinery
The subsidy standards for scrapping and updating agricultural machinery are determined according to the model and category of the scrapped tractor or combine harvester. For tractors, the subsidy amount ranges from 500 yuan to 11,000 yuan depending on the horsepower range; for combine harvesters, it ranges from 3,000 yuan to 18,000 yuan depending on the feed rate (or number of harvesting rows).
6. Policy of Tilting New Subsidies Toward Grain and Other Important Agricultural Products, New Types of Agricultural Business Entities, and Main Producing Areas
The state will increase support for new types of agricultural business entities such as specialized large-scale farmers, family farms, and farmers' cooperatives, and implement a policy of tilting new subsidies toward specialized large-scale farmers, family farms, and farmers' cooperatives.
7. Policy of Raising the Minimum Purchase Price for Wheat and Rice
The minimum purchase price for wheat (third grade) produced in 2014 was raised to 118 yuan per 50 kg, an increase of 6 yuan over 2013, with an increase rate of 5.4%; the minimum purchase prices for early indica rice (third grade, the same below), middle and late indica rice, and japonica rice produced in 2014 were raised to 135 yuan, 138 yuan, and 155 yuan per 50 kg respectively, an increase of 3 yuan, 3 yuan, and 5 yuan over 2013, with increase rates of 2.3%, 2.2%, and 3.3% respectively. In 2015, the temporary storage policy for corn, rapeseed, and sugar will continue to be implemented.
8. Reward Policy for Major Grain (Oil) Producing Counties
The reward standard for regular major grain-producing counties is 5-80 million yuan, and the reward funds serve as general transfer payments to be used by the county-level people's government at its discretion. The reward funds for super major grain-producing counties are used to support grain production and industrial development. While rewarding major grain-producing counties, the central government finance gives key rewards to the top 5 super major grain-producing provinces among the 13 major grain-producing areas, and appropriate rewards to the rest. The reward funds are used by the provincial-level finance to support the province's grain production and industrial development.
The reward coefficient for rapeseed is increased by 20%, and soybean that has already been included in the reward for major grain-producing counties will continue to be rewarded; the reward funds received by selected counties shall not be less than 1 million yuan, and all reward funds shall be used to support oilseed production and industrial development.
9. Reward Policy for Major Pig-Producing Counties
Calculations are made based on the weights of pig transfer-out volume, slaughter volume, and stock volume at 50%, 25%, and 25% respectively. The central government finance will continue to implement rewards for major pig transfer-out counties.
10. Agricultural Product Target Price Policy
In 2015, pilot programs for target price subsidies for soybean in Northeast China and Inner Mongolia and for cotton in ** will be launched, pilot programs for target price insurance for agricultural products such as grain and pigs will be explored, and pilot programs for marketing loans for large-scale grain production business entities will be carried out.
11. Subsidy Policy for Key Technologies for Agricultural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Stable Yield, and Increased Production
The central government finance has allocated 6.05 billion yuan in subsidies for key technologies for agricultural disaster prevention and mitigation, stable yield, and increased production, achieving full coverage of wheat “one spray, three preventions” in major producing provinces.
12. Policy for Deepening Support for High-Yield Creation of Grain, Cotton, Oil, and Sugar
In 2013, the central government finance allocated 2 billion yuan in special funds to build 12,500 ten-thousand-mu demonstration plots nationwide, and selected 5 cities (prefectures), 81 counties (cities), and 600 townships (towns) to carry out pilot programs for advancing high-yield creation on a whole-system basis. In 2015, the state will continue to allocate 2 billion yuan in special funds to support high-yield creation of grain, cotton, oil, and sugar and whole-system advancement pilot programs, and on this basis carry out research on grain yield increase models, integrate and promote regional and standardized high-yield and high-efficiency technical models, and radiate and drive balanced regional yield increases.
13. Support Policy for the Creation of Standard Horticultural Crop Gardens
In 2015, the creation of standard horticultural crop gardens will continue to be advanced, and 70% of the 2013 funding scale has already been allocated to local areas.
14. Subsidy Policy for Soil Testing and Formula Fertilization
In 2015, the central government finance allocated 700 million yuan in special funds for soil testing and formula fertilization. In 2015, the promotion area of soil testing and formula fertilization technology for crops reached 1.4 billion mu; the formula fertilization area for grain crops reached more than 700 million mu; free soil testing and formula fertilization guidance services were provided to 190 million farming households, striving to achieve cost savings and efficiency increases of more than 30 yuan per mu in demonstration areas.
15. Subsidy Policy for Improving Soil Organic Matter
In 2015, the central government finance allocated 800 million yuan in special funds to continue promoting straw return-to-field decomposition technology, green manure planting technology, and soybean rhizobia inoculation technology in suitable areas. At the same time, it focused on promoting comprehensive acidified soil improvement and fertilization technology in southern rice-producing areas, promoting increased application of organic fertilizer in northern grain-producing areas, and promoting comprehensive soil improvement and fertilization technology in areas with severe saline-alkali soil.
16. Support Policy for Making Seed Enterprises Integrating Breeding, Propagation, and Promotion Bigger and Stronger
The Ministry of Agriculture will, together with relevant ministries and commissions, continue to increase policy support to advance the growth and strengthening of integrated breeding, propagation, and promotion enterprises. First, strengthen project support. Second, promote the flow of scientific and technological resources to enterprises. Third, optimize the development environment of the seed industry.
17. Support Policy for the Construction of an Agricultural Product Traceability System
Approved by the National Development and Reform Commission, the construction of an agricultural product quality and safety traceability system has been officially included in the National Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Inspection and Testing System Construction Plan (2011-2015), with a total investment of 49.85 million yuan, specifically for the construction of the national agricultural product quality and safety traceability management information platform and the unified development of the national agricultural product quality and safety traceability management information system.
18. Support Policy for Standardized Agricultural Production
The central government finance will continue to allocate 23.4 million yuan in fiscal funds to subsidize the demonstration work of standardized agricultural production. Nationwide, relying on counties (districts) with a high concentration of “three gardens and two farms” and “three products and one label,” 44 standardized agricultural production demonstration counties will be created.
19. Livestock Improved Breed Subsidy Policy
The improved breed subsidy standard for pigs is 40 yuan per sow able to reproduce; the improved breed subsidy standard for dairy cattle is 30 yuan per cow able to reproduce for Holstein cattle, Jersey cattle, and dairy buffalo, and 20 yuan per cow able to reproduce for other breeds; the improved breed subsidy standard for beef cattle is 10 yuan per cow able to reproduce; the improved breed subsidy standard for sheep is 800 yuan per breeding ram; the subsidy standard for yak breeding bulls is 2,000 yuan per breeding bull. In 2014, the state will continue to implement the livestock improved breed subsidy policy.
20. Support Policy for Standardized Large-Scale Livestock Breeding
Starting in 2007, the central government finance has allocated 2.5 billion yuan annually nationwide to support the construction of standardized large-scale pig breeding farms (communities); the support funds are mainly used for the construction of supporting facilities such as water, electricity, and road renovation, manure treatment, epidemic prevention, milking, and quality testing in breeding farms (communities). In 2015, the state will continue to support standardized large-scale livestock and poultry breeding.