The Most Complete Summary of 50 Agricultural Benefit Subsidy Policies in 2015
New policies and measures introduced by the state in 2015 to deepen rural reform, support grain production and promote farmers' income growth:
1. Direct Grain Subsidy Policy
The central government finance will continue to implement direct subsidies to grain farmers. In principle, subsidy funds are required to be paid to farmers engaged in grain production, with the specifics 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
The subsidy is 10 yuan per mu for wheat, corn, soybean, rapeseed and highland barley. Among these, the improved wheat seed subsidy in ** areas is 15 yuan; the subsidy for rice and cotton is 15 yuan per mu; the subsidy for first- and second-grade seed potatoes is 100 yuan per mu; the subsidy for improved peanut 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 implements a fixed-amount subsidy for agricultural machinery purchases, meaning that the same type and same grade of agricultural machinery is subject to a unified subsidy standard within a province.
5. Pilot Policy for Subsidies for Scrapping and Upgrading Agricultural Machinery
The subsidy standard for scrapping and upgrading agricultural machinery is determined by 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 Directing New Subsidies Toward Grain and Other Important Agricultural Products, New Agricultural Operating Entities, and Main Producing Areas
The state will increase support for new agricultural operating entities such as specialized large-scale farmers, family farms and farmers' cooperatives, and implement a policy of directing new subsidies toward specialized large-scale farmers, family farms and farmers' cooperatives.
7. Policy of Raising the Minimum Purchase Prices 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, a price increase 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 respectively, with price increases of 2.3%, 2.2% and 3.3% respectively. In 2015, the temporary purchase and storage policies 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. The reward funds serve as general transfer payments and are used by county-level people's governments at their 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 main grain-producing areas, and appropriate rewards to the rest. The reward funds are used by provincial-level finance to support grain production and industrial development in their provinces.
The reward coefficient for rapeseed is increased by 20%, and soybeans already included in the major grain-producing county rewards will continue to be rewarded; counties selected for the reward shall receive no less than 1 million yuan in reward funds, and all reward funds shall be used to support oilseed production and industrial development.
9. Reward Policy for Major Pig-Producing Counties
Calculations are based on the weights of pig transfer-out volume, slaughter volume and inventory 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, the pilot for target price subsidies for soybeans in Northeast China and Inner Mongolia and for ** cotton will be launched, the pilot for target price insurance for agricultural products such as grain and pigs will be explored, and the pilot for marketing loans for large-scale grain production operating entities will be carried out.
11. Subsidy Policy for Key Technologies for Agricultural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Stable and Increased Yields
The central government finance arranged 6.05 billion yuan in subsidies for key technologies for agricultural disaster prevention and mitigation, stable and increased yields, achieving full coverage of the wheat “one spray, three preventions” in main producing provinces.
12. Policy for Deepening Support for High-Yield Creation of Grain, Cotton, Oil and Sugar
In 2013, the central government finance arranged a special fund of 2 billion yuan 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 whole-system high-yield creation. In 2015, the state will continue to arrange a 2 billion yuan special fund to support high-yield creation of grain, cotton, oil and sugar and whole-system pilot promotion, and on this basis carry out research on grain yield increase models, integrate and promote regional, standardized high-yield and high-efficiency technical models, and drive balanced regional yield increases through radiation.
13. Support Policy for the Creation of Standard Horticultural Crop Gardens
In 2015, the creation of standard horticultural crop gardens will continue to be promoted, and 70% of the 2013 funding scale has already been allocated to localities.
14. Soil Testing and Formula Fertilization Subsidy Policy
In 2015, the central government finance arranged a special fund of 700 million yuan 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 farmer households, striving to achieve cost savings and efficiency gains of more than 30 yuan per mu in demonstration areas.
15. Soil Organic Matter Improvement Subsidy Policy
In 2015, the central government finance arranged a special fund of 800 million yuan to continue promoting straw return and decomposition technology, green manure planting technology and soybean rhizobium inoculation technology in suitable areas. At the same time, it focused on promoting comprehensive technology for acidified soil improvement and fertilization in southern rice-producing areas, promoting increased application of organic fertilizer in northern grain-producing areas, and promoting comprehensive technology for soil improvement and fertilization in areas with severe saline-alkali land.
16. Support Policy for Making Breeding-Multiplication-Promotion Integrated Seed Enterprises Bigger and Stronger
The Ministry of Agriculture will, together with relevant ministries and commissions, continue to increase policy support to promote breeding-multiplication-promotion integrated enterprises to become bigger and stronger. 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 was 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 arrange 23.4 million yuan in fiscal funds to subsidize the demonstration 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 subsidy standard for improved pig breeds is 40 yuan per sow able to reproduce; the subsidy standard for improved dairy cattle breeds is 30 yuan per cow able to reproduce for Holstein, Jersey and dairy buffalo, and 20 yuan per cow able to reproduce for other breeds; the subsidy standard for improved beef cattle breeds is 10 yuan per cow able to reproduce; the subsidy standard for improved sheep breeds 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
Since 2007, the central government finance has arranged 2.5 billion yuan annually to support the construction of standardized large-scale pig breeding farms (communities) nationwide; 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.