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Foreword
China, endowed with rich
agricultural resources, has a long history of farming. The traditional farming
practice with intensive cultivation as its essence is one of the most important
achievements of the human civilization.
Since the founding of
the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the country has
witnessed land reform, agricultural co-operatives, the people’s commune and
reform and opening up in the process of agricultural and rural development.
Under the system of the people’s commune, rural land belonged to the rural
collective, commune members worked together to undertake farming activities, the
state monopolized purchase and sales of agricultural products, and the
collective income was distributed to commune members according to their work.
Such a system seriously constrained farmers’ initiatives. As a result,
agricultural production and rural economy developed rather slowly and rural
areas were left in a poor and backward condition for a long time.
Along with agricultural
reform started in 1978, China began to introduce the
household-based contract system to rural areas, promote market-oriented
development of agriculture, and press ahead with integration into world
agricultural development. Ever since then, agriculture and rural economy in
China, being full of vigor and vitality, has created a miracle of feeding 21
percent of the world population on less than 9 percent of the world total
cultivated land, thus, making great contribution to the world food security and
agricultural development. It may be summed up in the following five
aspects:
First, the relation
between supply and demand of agricultural produce has undergone great
changes. Owing to its steadily improved overall
capacity, agricultural production has made a fast development, making a shift
from a long-term shortage to a basic balance in total supply and demand, with
even a surplus during good years.
Second, the
growth pattern in agriculture has experienced significant changes. Agricultural science and
technology has increased capacity to make progress and innovation, leading to a
gradually narrowed gap in this field between China and other
countries in the world and remarkably improved equipment and facilities in
agricultural sector.
Third,
the rural economic structure has witnessed dramatic changes. Township enterprises, a new force
emerging all of a sudden, has opened a pathway with the Chinese characteristics
to modernization in rural areas, bringing along structure transformation of
rural industries and employment as well as the development of small towns.
Fourth,
the international cooperation and exchanges in agriculture have been increasing
consistently. Agricultural trade with other
countries has made rapid development; agricultural sector in China has seen
an increasingly expanded “bringing in” and a steadily progressed “going global”
development.
Fifth, great changes have taken place in rural areas. Farmers’ income has
kept increasing, their lives have been improved significantly and rural
China as a whole has made a historic
leap frog development from a subsistence community to a well-off one.
At
present, the development of agriculture and rural areas in China is till
faced with many problems, including among others the problem of increasing
farmers’ income. Since 1997, per capita net rural incomes have grown at a slow
pace; the growth rate of farmers’ income in major grain producing areas has been
even lower than the national average; the income of some farm households has
kept stagnant or even declined; and the income gap between rural and urban
residents has remained to enlarge. In recent years, the Chinese government has
adopted a number of important policies and measures to facilitate a faster
growth of farmers’ income, and narrow the ever-enlarging income gap between
rural and urban residents as soon as possible mainly through implementing a
strategy of balanced social and economic development in rural and urban arrears;
adhering to the scientific viewpoint of development; carrying out the principle
of “giving more, taking less and loosening control”; restructuring agriculture
sector; accelerating progress in science and technology; creating more job
opportunities for farmers; and deepening rural reform. We will give top priority
in all our work to solving problems facing agriculture, farmers and rural areas,
focusing on the following seven aspects.
Firstly
we will promote faster increase of farmers’ income. We
will promote cost-effective agriculture by relying on scientific and technologic
advancements; increase economic returns from farming operations; and promote the
industrialization of agriculture and the development of secondary and tertiary
industries with township enterprises as a major player. We will also stimulate
small town and intra-county economies; increase employment channels in rural
areas; enhance training and service for migrant rural workers; offer employment
opportunities outside rural areas; and increase income of migrant rural
workers.
Secondly
we will protect and increase the overall capacity of grain production. Strict
measures for protecting farmland will be implemented and the capital
construction of farmland ensured, and grain production capacity increased.
Projects to industrialize production of high-quality grain will be undertaken to
establish a number of state production bases specialized in high-quality grain.
Policies and measures like subsidies to developing improved seeds of crop
varieties, direct subsidies to grain producers, support for grain processing in
major grain producing areas will be implemented to stimulate farmers’
initiatives for grain production.
Thirdly
we will continue to promote strategic restructuring of agriculture. The
program of regionalized competitive agricultural products will be implemented to
speed up the development of industrial belts for producing such products and
optimize the structure of quality agro-produce and its regionalization. At the
same time, we will energetically prevent and control the spread of
important animal epidemics, and actively develop animal husbandry and
aquaculture. Great efforts will be made to improve the quality and safety of
agricultural products in an all round way, and improve the overall capacity of
agriculture and sharpen the edge of its competitiveness.
Fourthly
we will actively promote progress in agro-science. We
will enhance research work of agricultural high-tech and key research programs,
and increase its reserve level. By focusing on improved crop seeds,
cost-effective technologies and sustainable development of agriculture, we will
endeavor to ensure demonstration and extension of advanced and practical
agricultural technologies, and grant proper subsidies to farmers for purchase of
farm machinery and implements to improve mechanized farming operations.
Fifthly
we will further open agriculture to the outside world. We will actively develop agricultural
trade with other countries; make use of foreign funds through multiple channels
and various forms; and have bilateral and multilateral cooperation and
exchanges, especially regional cooperation, in the field of agriculture.
Sixthly
we will speed up the transfer of rural labors. We
will develop rural secondary and tertiary industries, and endeavor to ensure the
development of small towns so as to facilitate faster transfer of rural labors,
and optimize the rural employment structure. We will improve the employment
environment for rural workers in cities, and create more jobs for them in
various ways.
Seventhly
we will continue to deepen rural reforms. Priorities will be place on reform of
rural land system, tax and administrative charges, grain distribution system and
rural financial system to provide farmers with institutional support to ensure
increase of farmers’ income. Budgetary appropriations will be increased to the
construction of rural infrastructure to promote the development of rural social
undertakings, improve the living conditions of farmers, and keep rural society
stable.
However,
agricultural development in China has arduous tasks and a long
way ahead. The road ahead is by no means smooth. Nevertheless, I am in firm
confidence that agriculture in China will give full play to its
advantages, overcome any difficulties, enter upon a new stage of development and
match towards a brighter new future in the new century!
