General Secretary Xi Jinping: Anchor the goal of building a strong agricultural country and accelerate the modernization of agriculture and rural areas

constructagricultureA Strong Country: The Endeavouring Road to Promote Modernization of Agriculture and Rural Areas

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that building a strong agricultural country must promote the modernization of agriculture and the modernization of the countryside as a whole, so as to achieve a comprehensive upgrading of the countryside. Since the beginning of this year, China has been deeply implementing a new round of 100 billion kilograms of grain production capacity enhancement action, and grain output has steadily stepped up to a new level. On the basis of nine consecutive years of stabilizing at more than 1.3 trillion jin, China's grain output is expected to exceed 1.4 trillion jin for the first time in 2023, demonstrating the strong momentum of agricultural development.

Solid support behind a good harvest

The year 2023 was a hard-won harvest year. In the face of more serious natural disasters and other challenges, China successfully realized an increase in summer grain production and a stable early rice yield, with annual grain production reaching a new high, providing strong support for economic recovery and high-quality development. At the same time, through the in-depth implementation of the Yield Enhancement Initiative for major crops such as grains and oils, the contribution rate of yields exceeded 70 per cent, highlighting the important role of science and technology in increasing agricultural production.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly gone into the fields and examined grain production during the critical farming seasons of spring plowing, summer harvest and autumn harvest. He emphasized the need to improve the policies of strengthening and benefiting agriculture and enriching agriculture, mobilizing the enthusiasm of farmers to grow food, and promoting the increase of agricultural efficiency, farmers' income, and the vitality of the countryside. At the same time, to increase the promotion of good seeds, good machines, good laws, relying on scientific and technological progress for agriculture to take off wings.

Strong policy support and scientific and technological breakthroughs are indispensable behind the high level of grain production increases. The central financial authorities have comprehensively covered full-cost insurance and planting income insurance for the three major staple grains, and raised the minimum purchase price for wheat and early indica rice, effectively mobilizing farmers' incentive to grow grain. In terms of agricultural science and technology, China has achieved the successful development of 300-horsepower hybrid tractor prototype, the application of Beidou terminal equipment exceeded 2.2 million units, the national ownership of agricultural machinery exceeded 200 million units, the three major staple grains of the ploughing, planting and harvesting of the integrated mechanization rate of 74% or more, and basically realized the entire mechanization.

Strengthening of new agricultural business entities

The advancement of agricultural modernization also relies on the continued growth of new agricultural management bodies. At present, the number of farmers' cooperatives nationwide exceeds 2.2 million, and there are nearly 4 million family farms. At the same time, the agricultural socialized service system has been gradually improved, better introducing small farmers into themodern agricultureDevelopment track.

The Third Plenary Session of the twentieth session of the CPC Central Committee put forward a series of major initiatives to reform agriculture and rural areas, further energizing the development of agriculture and rural areas. This year, China launched the implementation of a provincial pilot project to extend the second round of land contracts for a further 30 years after their expiration, and farmers in the pilot provinces have been able to take a "peace of mind" by signing contracts for the extension of their land contracts, increasing their confidence and motivation to develop their production.

High-standard farmland construction and rural revitalization

The construction of high-standard farmland is a major project to ensure food security. At present, more than 1 billion mu of high-standard farmland has been built nationwide, capable of steadily guaranteeing grain production capacity of more than 1 trillion pounds. This year, China continues to explore ways to improve the long-term mechanism for monitoring the quality of farmland. Jiangsu, as a representative of the main grain-producing provinces, is promoting the digital management of high-standard farmland, through the "map into the library" to realize the "map to manage the field".

The continued advancement of the rural revitalization strategy has also given a new look to the countryside. The proportion of central financial articulation funds used for industrial development has increased year by year, with more than 60% of the funds used to support the development of specialty industries or promote employment in poverty-stricken areas. Localities have tapped the economic potential of "local specialties" according to local conditions, accelerating the integrated development of primary, secondary and tertiary industries, and expanding income-generating channels for farmers.

The spread of digitalization has further narrowed the gap between urban and rural areas. The coverage rate of express delivery services in formed villages nationwide has reached more than 90%, the number of rural Internet users has exceeded 300 million, and more than 60% of the rural population have crossed the digital divide and integrated into digital life. At the same time, leisure agriculture and rural tourism have become increasingly popular, with about 14.7% villages nationwide providing related hospitality services, receiving more than 3 billion visitors annually and generating an operating income of 840 billion yuan, and more and more villages becoming happy homes for farmers.

A beautiful blueprint for the modernization of agriculture and the countryside

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the modernization of China's agriculture and rural areas is moving step by step from a blueprint to reality. Farmers and all sectors of society are contributing to the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside and the building of a strong agricultural country, laying a solid foundation for the realization of high-quality development.