Gansu to Launch Family Farm Cultivation, Aiming for Around 20,000 by 2018
In order to further deepen the reform of rural management systems and mechanisms and accelerate the development of modern agriculture across the province, the provincial government office recently issued the "Guiding Opinions on Cultivating and Developing Family Farms" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"), which clearly defined the goals, priorities and other content for promoting family farm development across the province.
The "Opinions" make clear that our province will launch family farm cultivation and development work this year; by 2018, the province will strive to cultivate and develop around 20,000 family farms (including 3,000 provincial-level demonstration family farms), with their operating area accounting for more than 20% of the province's total scaled operating area; land output rate exceeding the provincial average by more than 25%; and per capita net income of family members reaching more than 2 times the local farmers' per capita net income or comparable to the local urban residents' per capita disposable income.
The "Opinions" make clear that developing family farms (and family forest farms) must adhere to taking farming households as the main body, with family members as the main labor force, and conducting production and operation accounting on a household basis while engaging in agricultural production and operation activities; it is necessary to center on the province's "365" modern agriculture development action plan, and based on factors such as the region's advantageous industries or specialty product development plans, rural labor transfer conditions, and family members' management capabilities, guide family farm development and reasonably determine operating scale; it is necessary to encourage specialized large-scale operators of a certain size to establish family farms, and encourage and support college and secondary school graduates, new-type professional farmers, rural practical technical talent, and returning migrant workers to set up family farms. Selectively cultivate and support a batch of demonstration family farms, give play to their demonstration and driving role, and adhere to developing one only when it is mature, leading family farms to develop in a scientific and standardized manner.
The "Opinions" require that all localities, in this work, focus on five aspects: strengthening service management, carrying out demonstration farm creation, strengthening training for farm operators, guiding land transfer to family farms, and exploring benefit-linking mechanisms for family farms. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen fiscal support, implement land for infrastructure construction, strengthen financial, insurance and tax support, and increase technical service support.
In order to ensure the sustained and healthy development of this work, the "Opinions" also put forward specific requirements for safeguard measures such as strengthening organizational leadership, work guidance, and publicity guidance. (Reporter Chen Yong)