Notice of the Central Leading Group for COVID-19 Response on Issuing the Guidelines for Current Spring Farming Production Work

Notice of the Central Leading Group for COVID-19 Response on Issuing the Guidelines for Current Spring Farming Production Work
To the Party Committees and People’s Governments of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government; to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps; and to the relevant departments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council:

We hereby issue the “Guidelines for Current Spring Farming Production” to you. Please implement and carry out these guidelines in light of your specific circumstances.

March 2, 2020

To earnestly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech at the meeting on coordinating COVID‑19 prevention and control with economic and social development, to carry out Premier Li Keqiang’s directives at the State Council Executive Meeting, and to coordinate efforts to both contain the epidemic and ensure spring farming production, this guideline has been formulated to restore production order in a differentiated and tiered manner, seize the opportune moment to advance spring agricultural work, secure a bumper harvest of grain and other agricultural products, and provide strong support for achieving the annual economic and social development goals and tasks.
I. Strengthen accountability to ensure the area planted with spring-sown grain.
(1) Strengthen the provincial governor responsibility system for food security. Make effective spring‑plowing production a key component of the assessment under this system, and publicly release the assessment results at year’s end. The sown area and output of grain in each province, autonomous region, and municipality directly under the central government must remain stable at last year’s levels. All localities are required to elevate their political awareness: major grain‑producing areas should strive to leverage their strengths, while regions with balanced production and sales and major grain‑importing areas should maintain appropriate self‑sufficiency rates, jointly shouldering the responsibility of safeguarding national food security. Urgently break down and implement these tasks down to the city and county levels, ensuring accountability at every tier.
(2) Mobilize farmers’ enthusiasm for grain production. All localities must ensure the effective implementation of… Wheat 、 Rice grain The minimum purchase price policy should be implemented in a coordinated and effective manner. Corn 、 Soybean Producer subsidies and Rice grain Subsidy policies, advancing Wheat 、 Rice grain 、 Corn Pilot programs for full-cost insurance and income insurance help stabilize farmers’ income expectations and safeguard and boost their enthusiasm for grain production. Strengthening policy communication and public opinion guidance provides farmers with much-needed reassurance.
(3) Stabilize the area sown to grain in spring. Guide farmers in making rational adjustments to their cropping patterns. Encourage regions with suitable conditions to restore double-cropping rice acreage, maintain early‑rice acreage, and strive to expand it. Appropriately adjust pilot programs for crop rotation and fallow land, expanding rotation while reducing fallow periods, with a focus on planting grain crops in rotation. The policy of converting grain land to feed crops will primarily support the agro‑pastoral transitional zone in northern China. Through measures such as contracted farming and planting services, assist households lacking labor to plant all eligible land, thereby preventing farmland from being left fallow.
II. Restore the order of spring farming production as soon as possible through tiered and categorized measures.
(4) Refine rural epidemic prevention and control plans. In accordance with the requirement to implement scientifically sound, categorized, and detailed guidance for rural epidemic prevention and control, and based on local realities at the county level, promptly formulate differentiated measures, delineate smaller management units, adopt science-based approaches and targeted policies, correct biased or extreme practices, and avoid one-size-fits-all measures. Ensure smooth channels for the supply of agricultural inputs, Agricultural machinery Bottlenecks such as agricultural work and farmers’ field operations should be addressed to minimize the impact of epidemic prevention and control measures on spring farming.
(5) Fully restore production order in low-risk areas. In low-risk areas, implement the “preventing imported cases” strategy and promptly and comprehensively resume agricultural production. Ensure the normal operation of urban and rural transportation; prohibit road and village closures to guarantee that farmers can normally go to their fields, Agricultural machinery Ensuring smooth travel and the unimpeded flow of agricultural inputs, we are promptly mobilizing farmers to return to the fields to carry out essential farming tasks such as fertilization and pesticide application, seedling cultivation and paddy field preparation, deep tillage and land leveling, as well as weeding and pruning, thereby fully launching spring plowing operations.
(6) Orderly restoration of production in medium-risk areas. Medium-risk areas shall implement the strategy of “preventing imported cases and containing internal spread,” swiftly and systematically resuming spring farming activities. While taking necessary prevention and control measures, ensure the smooth flow of agricultural inputs and farm products. Based on the actual epidemic situation, rationally schedule spring‑field operations, organize farmers to work in staggered shifts and at off-peak times, and coordinate epidemic prevention with spring‑field production.
(7) Steadily resume agricultural production in high-risk areas. While continuing to prioritize epidemic prevention and control, high-risk areas should gradually restore spring farming activities in line with the evolving situation. In fields and open‑air settings where population density is low, farmers may be organized to carry out agricultural work according to local conditions. In areas with confined working spaces and higher population density, farmers should be scheduled to enter the fields at staggered times and peak periods to avoid gatherings. Even in Hubei, the province hardest hit by the epidemic, and in other provinces experiencing significant outbreaks, spring farming should be resumed—subject to effective preventive measures—based on actual circumstances.
III. Conduct spring management and farming in each region on schedule.
(8) In the early‑rice‑growing regions of southern China, focus on seedling raising and transplanting. In the South China rice region, seedling raising begins in late February; in the Yangtze River basin, it starts in mid-March. Guide farmers to select high‑yielding, high‑quality early‑rice varieties and ensure adequate supplies are secured well in advance. seed Carry out timely seed soaking and paddy field preparation, seize clear weather for sowing and seedling raising, and vigorously promote factory-based and centralized seedling‑raising methods. Strengthen nursery management, implement scientific fertilizer and water regulation, and cultivate robust seedlings. Accelerate transplanting progress, expand the area under mechanical rice transplanting, and ensure planting within the optimal sowing window.
(9) In the main summer grain-producing areas, ensure proper wheat field management. In late February, in the Jianghuai region and the southern Huanghuai area, winter… Wheat As the crop enters the green-up and tillering stage, in the first and middle parts of March, most winter… Wheat With the green-up and emergence of spring crops, spring field management has entered its peak period. Implement site-specific measures and categorized management, optimize fertilizer and water application, and carry out strategies to promote weak seedlings while controlling vigorous growth. Guard against spring cold damage and other adverse weather events, and irrigate and top-dress as needed. Prepare pesticides and equipment well in advance, strengthen prevention and control of major pests and diseases, and organize integrated pest management and unified control efforts.
(10) In the mid‑rice‑growing areas of the Yangtze River Basin, preparations for seedling raising should be completed. Mid‑rice seeding and seedling raising begin from late April to early May, with transplanting commencing from late May to early June. Sowing and seedling raising should be timed appropriately in accordance with the seasonal schedule, crop‑rotation sequences, and the growth periods of different varieties. Promote centralized seedling raising, dry‑seedling raising, or moist‑seedling raising to ensure uniform, robust, and well‑developed seedlings. Carry out timely paddy field soaking and land preparation, transplant at the right time, and establish an appropriate planting density to enhance transplanting quality.
(11) In the Northeast and Northwest regions, preparations for spring plowing should be carried out diligently. In mid‑April to early May, rice seed soaking and seedling raising will commence in the Northeast, while from mid‑April to early May, dryland crops will begin sowing in these same areas. Scientifically determine the main recommended varieties and guide farmers in selecting timely‑maturing cultivars to prevent off‑region planting. Ensure timely distribution of inputs. seed 、 Fertilizer 、 Pesticide agricultural films and other agricultural inputs. Carry out spring land preparation and mulching at the appropriate time, strengthen soil moisture monitoring, inspect and calibrate machinery, and organize… Agricultural machinery Prepare the land early.
(12) Ensure effective scheduling of irrigation water for the spring season. Based on crop water‑requirement forecasts, formulate a comprehensive spring irrigation plan and strengthen the coordinated allocation of irrigation water. Fully leverage the role of farmer water‑user cooperatives to maintain orderly irrigation practices. During irrigation breaks, expedite the improvement and maintenance of irrigation and drainage infrastructure to secure adequate water supplies for spring irrigation.
IV. Ensuring the Supply of Agricultural Inputs for Spring Farming Production
(13) Promote the resumption of work and production by agricultural input enterprises. Organize and provide guidance. seed 、 Fertilizer 、 Pesticide Agricultural-input manufacturers—such as those producing agricultural film—should strengthen epidemic prevention and control measures at their workplaces and ensure adequate personal protective equipment for employees, promptly resume full production and operations, increase operating capacity, and effectively boost market supply. Where labor shortages are hindering the resumption of normal production and business activities, timely measures such as workforce substitution should be implemented, and efforts to match labor supply and demand across regions should be intensified.
(14) Promote the delivery of agricultural inputs to villages and households. Focus on addressing bottlenecks in the “last mile” of agricultural input distribution and sales, and establish a “point-to-point” system for ensuring supply, as well as… Fertilizer Establish green channels for the transportation of raw and auxiliary materials and finished products, prohibit illegal checkpoints, roadblocks, and road closures, and ensure the smooth flow of agricultural inputs. Monitor supply-and-demand dynamics for agricultural inputs, set up an emergency delivery system in rural areas to guarantee timely distribution, and work to resume store operations as soon as possible and in an orderly manner.
(15) Strengthen market supervision of agricultural inputs. Focusing on major distribution hubs for agricultural inputs and key areas for spring plowing and field management, we will, in accordance with laws and regulations, intensify oversight and law enforcement targeting priority input categories, conduct quality‑based spot checks to identify potential problems and risks, and rigorously crack down on illegal and non‑compliant practices such as the production and sale of counterfeit or substandard inputs and price gouging. We will also ensure that cases involving fake or inferior agricultural inputs are investigated and prosecuted with utmost seriousness.
V. Strengthen Scientific Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
(16) Strengthen agricultural water conservancy infrastructure. Focus on addressing challenges related to the transportation of sand and gravel materials, machinery, and personnel, as well as difficulties in accessing construction sites, to expedite the resumption of spring‑time agricultural water‑conservancy projects and high‑standard farmland development, ensuring that annual construction targets are met. Improve the mechanisms for project acceptance, inspection, and oversight, ensuring that each completed section is fully operational and enhancing resilience to natural disasters.
(17) Preventing and mitigating natural disasters. This year, regional and seasonal droughts and floods are expected to be particularly pronounced, with a potential increase in extreme weather and climate events. Priority should be given to cold‑weather and freeze‑protection measures, as well as flood‑prevention and drought‑resistance efforts. Strengthen monitoring and early warning systems, promptly formulate or revise disaster‑prevention plans, and ensure adequate supplies and technical preparedness. Enhance technical services to guide farmers in implementing disaster‑response and post‑disaster production‑recovery measures.
(18) Prevent and control major pests and diseases. Strengthen efforts in the Southwest, the Han River Basin, and the Huang-Huai-Hai region. Wheat Stripe rust and the Jianghuai and Huanghuai regions Wheat Monitoring and control of Fusarium head blight. Special attention should be given to zonal prevention and control of the fall armyworm, with measures such as advancing frontlines, implementing zone‑based deployment, and carrying out unified and coordinated pest management to firmly curb the spread of diseases and pests. Strengthen monitoring and early warning for desert locust incursions, ensure adequate preparation of pesticides and equipment, and guarantee prompt eradication upon occurrence.
VI. Innovating Approaches to Provide Guidance Services
(19) Strengthen technical guidance and training. Make full use of radio and television, the internet, WeChat, the “12316” platform, and other channels to organize experts to deliver online training, provide online guidance, and offer online Q&A. On the premise of ensuring personal protection, mobilize agricultural extension personnel to conduct necessary on-site guidance, helping farmers overcome practical challenges in spring plowing and production.
(20) Strengthen support for large-scale agricultural operators. Provide assistance to large-scale agricultural producers, particularly those engaged in facility-based farming, and actively mobilize returning migrant workers and idle labor forces to address labor shortages in production. Organize the orderly return of migrant workers to their jobs, offering “point-to-point, one-stop” direct transportation services. Help large-scale grain producers smoothly conclude and renew land-transfer contracts. In coordinating the return of migrant workers to work and guiding spring‑time farming, all localities should prioritize the task of eradicating poverty, giving priority consideration to impoverished populations.
(21) Conduct Agricultural machinery Assignment service. Formulate Agricultural machinery Inter‑district operation plan, with rational reallocation of machinery and equipment to ensure… Agricultural machinery Operations are proceeding smoothly. We will organize inter‑district mechanized tillage and sowing to complete the spring planting campaign with high quality and to stringent standards. We will mobilize relevant production entities and enterprises to conduct personnel training, prepare and service machinery, and ensure the timely supply of spare parts, thereby guaranteeing… Agricultural machinery Tools and Agricultural machinery The hand can be put into production promptly.

Source: Xinhua Net Author: Xinhua Net Editor: bianji2