
The Central Rural Work Conference was held in Beijing from 19th to 20th. Before the meeting, the The Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) meeting put forward clear requirements for holding this meeting well and doing a good job in "agriculture, countryside and farmers". General Secretary of the Supreme Leader made important instructions on the work concerning agriculture, countryside and farmers.
General Secretary of the Supreme Leader stressed that Party committees and governments at all levels should unswervingly implement the decision-making arrangements of the CPC Central Committee on the work concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers, adhere to the priority development of agriculture and rural areas, adhere to the integrated development of urban and rural areas, shoulder the responsibility on their shoulders and grasp it in their hands, carry out their work in combination with actual creativity, and vigorously and effectively promote the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas in order to accelerate the modernization of agriculture and rural areas and better promote the modernization of Chinese style.
Next year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of People’s Republic of China (PRC), which is a crucial year for the implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan. It is of great significance to stabilize the basic agricultural sector and do a good job in the work concerning agriculture, countryside and farmers. What key agricultural and rural tasks have been studied and deployed at this important meeting? What’s the next step? The reporter interviewed relevant experts for the first time and deeply interpreted the spirit of the meeting.

Tamp the "ballast stone" of food security
Ensuring the stable and safe supply of grain and important agricultural products has always been the top priority in building an agricultural power.
The General Secretary of the Supreme Leader stressed: "We must fully implement the responsibility of the party and government for food security, and persist in stabilizing the area and increasing the yield." The meeting proposed that "we should do a good job in the production of grain and important agricultural products, stabilize the sown area of grain, and promote a large-scale increase in grain yield per unit area", "ensure that the grain output will remain above 1.3 trillion Jin in 2024" and "strengthen the protection and construction of cultivated land".

This is a rice field (photo of drone) near Xiaozhujia Village, Bohai Town, Ning ‘an City, Heilongjiang Province, which was taken on September 13, 2023. Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Jianwei photo
This year, the grain production overcame the unfavorable factors such as the rare "rotten rain" in Huanghuai, the severe floods in the northeast of North China and the local drought in the northwest. The annual grain output has been stable at more than 1.3 trillion Jin for nine consecutive years, and the supply of meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, fruits and aquatic products is sufficient, laying a solid foundation for maintaining overall economic and social stability and coping with various risks and challenges.
Qian Qian, an academician of China Academy of Sciences, said that this year’s bumper harvest was achieved in the context of frequent natural disasters, which was not easy, mainly due to the implementation of food security responsibilities by governments at all levels, the hard work of farmers, the effective policy of supporting agriculture and benefiting farmers, and the joint efforts of fertile land, improved varieties and good laws.
"The domestic huge population base is escalating, the food demand is still growing rigidly, and the uncertainty of global agricultural trade is increasing. It is necessary to consolidate the foundation of food security in all directions." Qian Qian said that for this reason, the meeting put forward a series of targeted measures to stabilize grain production and ensure supply.

Farmers harvest wheat in high-standard farmland in Yantang Village, Zhaiji Township, Kaiyang County, Guiyang City (photo taken on May 31, 2023). Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Wenbin photo
The meeting proposed to improve the "trinity" protection system of cultivated land quantity, quality and ecology, give priority to building cultivated land in black soil areas, plain areas and areas with irrigation conditions in Northeast China into high-standard farmland, and appropriately raise the level of investment subsidies.
Zhong Yu, a researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said that the infrastructure construction represented by high-standard farmland has been continuously strengthened and upgraded this year, effectively improving the ability to cope with disasters and ensuring a bumper harvest and increased grain production. These measures proposed this time will keep the lifeblood of grain production and steadily increase grain production capacity.
In 2023, China will continue to raise the minimum purchase price of wheat and rice, improve subsidies for corn and soybean producers, increase the scale of incentive funds for major grain-producing counties, and expand the implementation scope of full cost insurance and planting income insurance for three major grain crops.
The meeting stressed that exploring the establishment of inter-provincial horizontal interest compensation mechanism in grain production and marketing areas. Zhong Yu said that this move is conducive to increasing the ability to allocate financial funds in the main producing areas and improving the enthusiasm of the main producing areas to catch grain. At the same time, the cooperation in personnel, equipment and technology between the main producing areas and the main selling areas is also conducive to making the grain industry bigger and stronger in the main producing areas, narrowing the development differences between regions and better ensuring food security.

Ensure that there is no large-scale return to poverty
Ensuring that there is no large-scale return to poverty is the bottom line task of grasping the work of agriculture, rural areas and farmers.
The meeting stressed that we should implement the monitoring and assistance mechanism to prevent poverty, improve the effectiveness of industrial and employment assistance, and promote the establishment of a normalized assistance mechanism for rural low-income people and underdeveloped areas.
Mao Xuefeng, deputy dean of the School of Agriculture and Rural Development of Renmin University of China, believes that to consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation and effectively link with rural revitalization, it is necessary to continue to develop and expand industries with distinctive advantages in poverty-stricken areas, encourage more funds to enter underdeveloped areas, promote the upgrading of traditional industries, and support local pillar industries to ensure that agricultural income does not decline on a large scale; Take order-based training to increase the training of local labor force to ensure that non-agricultural income does not decrease. At the same time, we will continue to promote the coverage of public services such as education and medical care.

This is the scenery of Yangliuchi Tea Garden in zouma town, Hefeng County, Hubei Province, which was taken on December 5, 2023 (drone photo). Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Wenbin photo
In the first three quarters of this year, the per capita disposable income of rural residents was 15,705 yuan, a real increase of 7.3% after deducting the price factor, 2.6 percentage points faster than that of urban residents.
Xu Zhigang, a professor at Nanjing Agricultural University, believes that in order to consolidate the achievements of tackling poverty, we should inject external resources and take multiple measures in parallel to continuously improve the employability of relevant people. At the same time, strengthen the bottom-up assistance for poverty-stricken households who lack the ability to work for their own reasons.
The meeting pointed out that we should improve the mechanism of linking agriculture with agriculture and implement actions to increase farmers’ income. Xu Zhigang believes that it is necessary to improve the modern rural industrial system, do a good job in brand building of agricultural products in the process of promoting standardization and quality, and take various measures to increase farmers’ income.
"Underdeveloped areas should create more employment opportunities locally, and at the same time increase the training of the labor force and transform unskilled labor into skilled labor to meet the needs of industrial upgrading." Mao Xuefeng said.

Vigorously and effectively promote the all-round revitalization of rural areas
Promoting rural revitalization in an all-round way is an important task of building an agricultural power in the new era. The General Secretary of the Supreme Leader stressed that it is necessary to vigorously and effectively promote the overall revitalization of rural areas in order to accelerate the modernization of agriculture and rural areas and better promote the modernization of Chinese style.
According to Huang Jikun, president of Peking University New Rural Development Research Institute, "powerful and effective" puts more emphasis on the measures and effects of promoting the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas. "In the future, we should further promote rural revitalization, integrate all aspects of resources, highlight key points, fill shortcomings and improve efficiency according to local characteristics, foundations and resources."
Li Guoxiang, a researcher at the Institute of Rural Development of China Academy of Social Sciences, said that the meeting put forward requirements for the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas from two aspects: strengthening the promotion and making the key points clearer. In the future, all localities and departments should shoulder their responsibilities and grasp them in their hands, and promote the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas and continuously make substantial progress and phased results.
The meeting emphasized that agriculture should be promoted by industry, quality and green. In-depth implementation of rural human settlements improvement action; Promote party building to promote rural revitalization, and adhere to and develop the "Fengqiao experience" in the new era; Vigorously strengthen the construction of spiritual civilization in rural areas.

On September 11th, 2023, in the Ocean Pension Center of Wangdianzi Town, Luanzhou City, Hebei Province, medical staff led the old people to relax in the courtyard. Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Shizhen photo
Experts said that the next step is to accelerate the construction of livable and suitable businesses and beautiful rural areas, conscientiously sum up and promote the experience of Zhejiang’s "Ten Million Projects", and solidly promote the rural revitalization to continue to deepen and deepen. Accelerate the continuous improvement of rural infrastructure and public services, and promote the use of list system and point system to further improve the efficiency of rural governance.

In Loudong Village, Dongbai Lake Town, Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province, the town, village cadres and villagers held democratic talks at home, exchanged practical projects on people’s livelihood and sought villagers’ opinions and suggestions (photo taken on July 26, 2023). Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Yushe
The meeting also emphasized that new urbanization and rural comprehensive revitalization should be coordinated, the comprehensive carrying capacity and governance capacity of county towns should be improved, and the integrated development of urban and rural areas in counties should be promoted.
Feng Wenmeng, a researcher at the State Council Development Research Center, said that it is necessary to vigorously and effectively promote the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas in a broader regional scope, organically combine the promotion of new urbanization with the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas, promote the two-way flow of various factors, and form a new pattern of urban-rural integration and development.

Strengthening science and technology and reforming two-wheel drive
To build a strong agricultural country, the sharp weapon lies in science and technology, and the key lies in reform.
Support the construction of agricultural science and technology innovation platform, accelerate the revitalization of seed industry and strengthen rural reform and innovation … … Focusing on strengthening the two-wheel drive of science and technology and reform, the meeting made a series of important arrangements.
Judging from the practice of world agricultural modernization and China’s agricultural development and rural revitalization, building an agricultural power is mainly carried out from two main lines: scientific and technological innovation and deepening rural system reform. In recent years, China’s agricultural science and technology innovation ability has been steadily improved, and the contribution rate of agricultural science and technology progress has reached 62.4%.

The 2023 World Conference on Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation was held in Beijing from November 2nd to 4th. This is November 2, 2023. The staff (left) introduced the smart plant factory at the World Agricultural Science and Technology Expo. Xinhua News Agency reporter Ren Chaoshe
Ye Xingqing, Director of Rural Economic Research Department of the State Council Development Research Center, said that since the beginning of this year, some places in China have explored important experiences in increasing grain yield, and systematically integrated existing improved varieties, agricultural machinery, technology and management, which has achieved good results in increasing production and reducing costs. The next step is to adhere to the idea of agricultural science and technology innovation and further develop the effective experience of technology integration in accordance with the deployment of the conference. It is necessary to continue to exert efforts in the fields of seed industry revitalization and key agricultural machinery and equipment, advocate joint cooperation, give play to the advantages of the new national system, integrate various scientific research resources, and make breakthroughs in key core technologies.

On February 22nd, 2023, Yu Meng, a researcher from Qingdao Sea Rice Research and Development Center, conducted a rice hybridization experiment in Sanya’s National Nanfan Scientific and Research Breeding Base. Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Lizhen photo
Qian Qian said that in the revitalization of seed industry, it is necessary to strengthen the co-construction and sharing of major platforms, realize the sharing of innovative resources and complementary functions, and jointly build the national strategic core scientific and technological strength of seed industry. At the same time, it is necessary to accelerate the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and further promote the deep integration of seed industry innovation chain, industrial chain, capital chain and talent chain.

In Gongzhuling Demonstration Base of Changchun Demonstration Zone, the "Black Soil Granary" of China Academy of Sciences, the harvested corn was loaded by unmanned agricultural machinery (photo taken on October 19, 2023). Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Nanshe
To speed up agricultural modernization, it is necessary to reform to increase power and vitality.
Ye Xingqing said that we must continue to handle the main line of the relationship between farmers and land. This year, our country has carried out the pilot work of extending the land contract after it expires in some places. Continuing to do this work well will promote farmers to transfer their land safely and stably, and create more stable expectations for the growth of new agricultural business entities. It is necessary to do a solid job in extending the contract period for another 30 years, speed up the improvement of the agricultural socialized service system, let farmers share more achievements in the reform, and lay a solid foundation for building an agricultural power.

Text reporters: Qi Zhongxi, Yu Wenjing, Gao Jing, Hu Lu, Yu Qiongyuan.
Poster design: Qian Cheng
Editor: Liu Yuanyuan, Wang Naishui, Qi Wenjuan, Cheng Hao, Wu Jinfu
Coordinator: Cao Jiangtao and Wang Jie