Actively explore the road of agricultural modernization with China characteristics —— The head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs answered a reporter’s question on promoting the establis

In July this year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly issued a notice on the creation of agricultural modernization demonstration zones, and organized all localities to declare the creation of demonstration zones. On the basis of local declaration, expert evaluation and social publicity, a list of agricultural modernization demonstration zones in 2021 was formed, which was recently issued in the name of three departments. The reporter interviewed the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on the establishment of the agricultural modernization demonstration zone.

Q: Building an agricultural modernization demonstration zone is a strategic plan made by the State Council, the CPC Central Committee. Could you please talk about the background and significance of the creation?

A:After building a well-off society in an all-round way, China has embarked on a new journey of building a socialist modern country in an all-round way, and the focus of the work on agriculture, rural areas and farmers has historically shifted to comprehensively promoting rural revitalization. This is a great turning point in the work of agriculture, countryside and farmers, and we should adapt to this change in ideas, concepts and methods. General Secretary of the Supreme Leader has repeatedly stressed that without agricultural modernization, rural prosperity and prosperity, and farmers living and working in peace and contentment, national modernization is incomplete, incomplete and unstable. Promoting agricultural modernization is a long-term task and a process of continuous reform and innovation. It is necessary to build a demonstration zone for agricultural modernization, explore the promotion mechanism and effective ways, accumulate experience and find a way out.

The first is to explore the development model of agricultural modernization. China has a vast territory, and the situation varies widely from place to place, so it is impossible to promote agricultural modernization across the board and quick march. To create a demonstration area of agricultural modernization, we must cultivate a number of model areas by regions and types based on local resource endowments, industrial characteristics and economic and social development conditions, explore differentiated and characteristic development models of agricultural modernization, form a set of representative and replicable construction paths, policy frameworks and evaluation methods, and demonstrate and lead the accelerated development of agricultural and rural modernization in similar areas.

The second is to explore the support of agricultural modernization factors. Promoting agricultural modernization is inseparable from real money investment, which requires both government financial support and social capital participation. To establish a demonstration area of agricultural modernization, we must meet the requirements of the target modernization, give play to the role of financial funds, incite all kinds of social capital investment, and continuously introduce advanced factors such as people, land and money into modern agriculture to form a long-term mechanism for sustainable development.

The third is to explore an effective mechanism for promoting agricultural modernization. In the process of tackling poverty, we have explored and formed a set of effective policy systems, institutional systems and working systems, and formed extensive mobilization capabilities, which provided strong support for winning the fight against poverty. Promoting agricultural modernization is also inseparable from the extensive participation and joint efforts of all sectors of society. To create a demonstration area of agricultural modernization, we must establish an agricultural modernization work system that is promoted by the government, linked up and down, and supported by the society, focusing on key areas and key links, and constantly grasping them.

The fourth is to explore the realization path of agricultural modernization driving rural modernization. The problem of farmers in agriculture and rural areas is an inseparable whole, and agricultural modernization and rural modernization are also inseparable. To create a demonstration area of agricultural modernization, we must plan agricultural modernization and rural modernization as a whole, design and promote them as a whole, and make efforts to explore the optimization of industrial layout, infrastructure connectivity, public services and other aspects first, so as to achieve the effect of mutual promotion and effective linkage.

Q: This year, Document No.1 of the Central Committee proposed that about 500 agricultural modernization demonstration zones should be established by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan. Excuse me, what are the considerations for the construction objectives and layout of the demonstration area?

A:In recent years, various localities have actively promoted the development of agricultural modernization, and a number of typical counties and cities with sound industrial system, perfect technology and equipment, active business entities and green and safe products have emerged, which have become the pioneering areas leading the national agricultural modernization. To implement the requirements of the central government’s deployment, it is necessary to establish agricultural modernization demonstration zones with counties as units and form a pattern of promoting agricultural modernization step by step.

In terms of the construction target, this year is the first year of establishment. The first batch will be 100, roughly 3-4 in a province, and strive to create about 500 by 2025. According to the idea of overall balance and giving consideration to all parties, we have designed basic indicators, policy indicators and competitive indicators. Among them, the basic indicators highlight the inclusiveness and ensure that there is at least one creation indicator in all localities. Policy indicators focus on ensuring the strategic orientation of national food security, adding one indicator to each of the 10 major grain-producing provinces such as Heilongjiang, Henan, Shandong and Jiangsu. Competitive indicators are selected by competition, which will be comprehensively selected nationwide and created on the basis of merit.

In the direction of creation, this year, priority will be given to counties (cities) with good basic conditions, and key support will be given to the establishment of agricultural modernization demonstration zones in the project locations such as advantageous industrial clusters, national modern agricultural industrial parks, and national rural industrial integration development demonstration parks. Starting from next year, we can gradually broaden the scope and choose counties (cities) with sufficient potential for agricultural modernization, large space, high enthusiasm of local governments and strong support, thus forming a situation of step-by-step creation and orderly construction.

In terms of construction layout, regional differences, development level and other factors should be considered as a whole, and agricultural modernization demonstration zones should be built by districts and classifications. In the northeast plain, Huang Huai Hai plain, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and other major grain producing areas, a number of demonstration areas focusing on the grain industry will be created. In the hilly and mountainous areas in the south and the areas with advantageous agricultural products, we will create a number of demonstration areas focusing on advantageous and characteristic industries. In the suburbs of large and medium-sized cities and developed coastal areas in the east, a number of demonstration areas focusing on urban agriculture and smart agriculture will be created. Create a number of demonstration areas focusing on efficient dry farming in the ecologically fragile areas such as the northwest, the areas along the Great Wall and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In poverty-stricken areas, create a number of demonstration areas focusing on "small but refined" characteristic industries.

Q: We understand that the list of agricultural modernization demonstration zones in 2021 has just been published. Excuse me, what are the requirements for entering the demonstration area of the list, and what is the procedure for creating accreditation?

A:Judging from the work situation, all localities are very enthusiastic about declaring the establishment of agricultural modernization demonstration zones. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Development and Reform Commission insist on choosing the best among the best, highlighting key industries and key regions, and moderately tilting to the founding units that declare the grain industry and the "small but refined" characteristic industries in poverty-stricken areas. The demonstration areas entering the list generally have the following characteristics:

First, the production base is good. The agricultural production structure is optimized, and the advantages of leading industries are obvious, basically forming a production structure of overall planning of grain, farming, animal husbandry and fishery.

Second, the equipment level is high. The proportion of farmland with high standard for drought and flood protection is relatively high, the infrastructure such as farmland water conservancy, field roads and agricultural electricity consumption is relatively perfect, the mechanism of agricultural science and technology innovation and popularization and application is initially established, the level of agricultural mechanization is relatively high, and digital technology is widely used.

Third, the industrial chain is basically sound. A number of large-scale standardized agricultural product production bases have been built, with strong agricultural product processing capacity, logistics facilities taking shape, relatively complete industrial chain and high industrial concentration and integration level.

Fourth, the management system is relatively complete. The socialized service system is relatively sound, and the development quality of new business entities such as family farms and farmers’ cooperatives is relatively high, with a high level of intensification, specialization and organization, and small farmers are well connected with modern agriculture.

Fifth, the agricultural environment is friendly. The concept of green development runs through the whole process of agricultural modernization. Agricultural production is clean, the level of waste resource utilization is high, resource-saving and environment-friendly technologies are widely used, and green transformation and ecological development are basically realized.

Sixth, policy support is strong. Local governments are highly motivated and supportive, and have formulated innovative and practical policies and measures in land security, financial services, scientific and technological innovation and application, talent support, and county-level urban-rural integration.

In the accreditation procedure, we will carry out the accreditation in three steps according to the requirements of "creating before accreditation, strict evaluation and dynamic management". The first step is to select the list of agricultural modernization demonstration zones according to the procedure of "county-level government application, provincial-level department selection, provincial-level government approval and central department approval", and the current 100 counties (cities, districts) are the first list. In the second step, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and the National Development and Reform Commission shall, in accordance with the conditions for creation, organize a review and confirmation of the applicant’s creation unit every two years, and those who pass the review will be awarded the title of "National Agricultural Modernization Demonstration Zone Creation Unit". The third step, if the founding unit of the National Agricultural Modernization Demonstration Zone has achieved the standard of basically realizing agricultural modernization through hard work, it will be awarded the title of "National Agricultural Modernization Demonstration Zone" after acceptance.

Q: Agricultural modernization is rich in connotation and constantly changes with economic and social development, technological progress and productivity improvement. Excuse me, what aspects will the demonstration area focus on during the 14 th Five-Year Plan period to carry out the pilot test first?

A:Agricultural modernization has its inherent development laws and fundamental requirements. The 14th Five-Year Plan for Promoting Agricultural and Rural Modernization, just issued by the State Council, puts forward the train of thought, objectives and key tasks of agricultural modernization. At present and for a period of time to come, the demonstration area should aim at these objectives, tasks and work requirements, find a correct position, make a clear direction, focus on key points and make continuous progress.

First, strengthen the construction of facilities and equipment, and demonstrate and lead the agricultural facilities. Efforts will be made to improve the conditions of farmland facilities, strengthen the construction of high-standard farmland, and build irrigation and drainage facilities, greenhouses and other facilities to improve the utilization efficiency of water and soil resources. Promote the mechanization of the whole production process, accelerate the promotion of intelligent high-end duplex machinery, promote the integration of agricultural machinery and agronomy, facilities and equipment and breeding technology, and take the lead in the comprehensive mechanization of agriculture. Improve the cold chain logistics facilities of agricultural products, speed up the construction of facilities and equipment such as cleaning and grading, sorting and packaging, preservation and drying, and refrigerated transportation of agricultural products, and speed up the construction of a cold chain logistics network for storage and preservation that connects all aspects of production, processing and circulation.

The second is to promote the development of industrial agglomeration and demonstrate and lead agricultural parks. Optimize industrial layout, rationally plan production, processing, logistics, research and development and other functional sectors, and build a development pattern of "one county, one industry, one special park and multiple parks in groups". Innovate the operation mode, guide capital, talents, science and technology, information, land and other factors to gather in the park, and attract leading enterprises and supporting enterprises to concentrate in the park, forming a development model of "leading enterprises driving, supporting enterprises driving, industrial clusters linkage, and service departments promoting". Improve supporting services, focus on building public service platforms such as technology research and development, information sharing, inspection and testing, logistics and distribution, reduce enterprise costs and cultivate a good business environment.

The third is to build an industrial chain and demonstrate and lead agricultural integration. Cultivate multi-integration subjects, develop and expand family farms and farmers’ cooperatives, and support agricultural industrialization consortia led by leading enterprises, followed by family farms and farmers’ cooperatives, and widely participated by small farmers. Develop multi-type integration formats, develop primary processing, intensive processing and comprehensive utilization of by-products of agricultural products, promote the deep integration of agriculture with pastoral scenery, local culture, health care experience and sightseeing, and cultivate new industries and formats in rural areas. Innovate the multi-mode interest integration mechanism, guide the new agricultural business entities to establish a close interest linkage mechanism with small farmers, and promote the modes of "order acquisition+dividend", "farmers’ shareholding+guaranteed income+dividend by share" so that farmers can share more value-added benefits of the secondary and tertiary industries.

The fourth is to develop eco-circular agriculture and demonstrate and lead the greening of agriculture. Highlight environmental friendliness, strengthen the control of agricultural non-point source pollution, and innovate and demonstrate in the scientific use of agricultural inputs, promote the reduction and efficiency of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and recycle agricultural wastes. Highlight ecological protection, strengthen agricultural ecological protection and restoration, build pastoral ecology, promote agricultural emission reduction and carbon sequestration, cultivate green and low-carbon agricultural industrial chain and enhance the value of agricultural ecological products. Highlight quality and safety, promote variety cultivation, quality improvement, brand building and standardized production, strengthen quality and safety supervision of agricultural products, and increase the supply of green and high-quality agricultural products.

The fifth is to accelerate the development of smart agriculture and demonstrate and lead agricultural digitalization. Strengthen the construction of information facilities, rationally deploy 5G and mobile Internet, and promote the intelligent transformation of agricultural water conservancy, logistics, processing and other facilities. Innovatively apply digital technology to promote the digital construction of the whole industrial chain such as agricultural production, processing, transportation, warehousing and trading. Set up digital application scenarios, explore the construction of intelligent animal husbandry, intelligent fishery, digital pastoral, etc., and promote the integration of agricultural production and management and informationization.

Q: It is necessary to gather resources and strength to create a demonstration area of agricultural modernization. Excuse me, what specific support measures will the relevant state departments take in the next step?

A:Compared with the rapid industrialization, informationization and urbanization, China’s agricultural and rural modernization has obviously failed to keep up, and the problem of "one leg is long and the other leg is short" is more prominent. In order to basically realize the "synchronization of the four modernizations" in three five years, agricultural modernization must catch up and speed up the short-board and short-leg, which requires strengthening the guarantee of creating factors in agricultural modernization demonstration zones.

First, make good use of existing capital projects. Coordinate and integrate the national modern agricultural industrial park, industrial clusters with advantages and characteristics, and the project funds for strengthening the town with agricultural industry, and focus on supporting the construction of demonstration areas. Under the premise of controllable risks, the qualified public welfare construction projects in the demonstration area will be included in the scope of local government bond support, and actively support all localities to use the land transfer income or income for the construction of the demonstration area.

The second is to guide financial institutions to support. Actively coordinate commercial banks, policy banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions, carry out financial docking demonstration zone activities, promote the tilt of credit funds and specialty agricultural products insurance to the demonstration zone, and increase medium and long-term credit support for investment and financing of agricultural and rural infrastructure in the demonstration zone.

The third is to encourage social capital investment. Give full play to the role of government investment funds, guide incubation, growth and innovative social capital investment projects, and support the construction of demonstration areas. Innovative use of PPP, industrial funds and other market-oriented means to attract social capital to build storage cold chain logistics, livestock manure resource utilization and other facilities. Encourage leading enterprises in agricultural industrialization to carry out docking and investment with demonstration areas.

The fourth is to strengthen technical support. Establish a technical cooperation mechanism between scientific research institutions and demonstration areas, set up expert technical teams, and carry out technical training to help demonstration areas solve specific difficulties in building industrial chains. Guide agricultural high-tech enterprises and scientific and technological innovation alliances to settle in demonstration areas, and promote the demonstration and application of new varieties, technologies and equipment.

Q: This year, the establishment of the agricultural modernization demonstration zone started. Excuse me, how to strengthen overall planning and coordination to ensure that all the work of creating agricultural modernization demonstration zones is carried out in detail?

A:The construction of agricultural modernization demonstration zone is a long-term systematic project, and it is also a process of continuous reform and innovation. We must improve the working mechanism, refine the practical promotion measures, and promote the construction of demonstration areas to achieve practical results.

The first is to grasp organizational leadership. Strengthen departmental communication and coordination, actively formulate support policies, and increase guidance services. Promote provincial departments to establish follow-up guidance, policy support, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. Implement the main responsibilities of counties and cities, formulate a list of creation work, focus on key points, gather strength, and pragmatically and effectively promote the creation of demonstration areas.

The second is to create a design. Guide all localities to base themselves on the local development reality, clearly put forward the ideas, functional orientation and development goals of the demonstration area, systematically put forward specific tasks to promote agricultural modernization, plan a number of key construction projects in the demonstration area in depth, and scientifically formulate the "timetable" and "road map" for construction.

The third is to monitor and evaluate. At present, relevant departments are studying and formulating opinions on monitoring and evaluation of agricultural modernization demonstration zones, considering carrying out monitoring and evaluation of demonstration zone construction every year, regularly tracking the progress of dispatching demonstration zones, summarizing and analyzing the construction progress, work effectiveness and existing problems in time, and playing the role of "baton" in monitoring and evaluation.

The fourth is to grasp demonstration and promotion. Focusing on the development of grain industry, dominant and characteristic industries, urban agriculture, smart agriculture and high-efficiency dry farming, we will timely summarize and explore a number of typical cases with regional characteristics and clear directions, comprehensively use traditional media and new media, publicize and promote good practices and experiences in demonstration areas, and create a good social atmosphere.