Where are the key growth drivers in agriculture this year? The top ten buzzwords related to agriculture from the Two Sessions have been unveiled.

1 Food Security

On the morning of May 23, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People’s Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, visited members from the economic sector attending the Third Session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and participated in a joint panel meeting to hear their views and suggestions. He emphasized that for a country as large as ours, with a population of 1.4 billion, the fundamental role of agriculture must never be neglected or weakened; having food in hand ensures peace of mind—this principle holds true at all times.

This year’s Government Work Report stated that we have both the capability and the responsibility to ensure that the food supply for China’s 1.4 billion people remains firmly in our own hands. On the 22nd, at the Ministerial Press Conference, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Changfu, responding to questions from reporters, said, “We have complete confidence and unwavering resolve regarding food security,” offering reassurance to the entire nation. In addition, National People’s Congress deputy and Secretary of the Xuchang Municipal Party Committee in Henan Province, Hu Wuyue, called for stabilizing grain production and improving agricultural quality; while Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference member and Chairman of the Jilin Provincial CPPCC, Jiang Zelin, proposed enhancing the country’s overall capacity for grain production.

Reason for inclusion: With food in hand, one feels no anxiety. Food security is a matter of concern for the entire nation!

2 High-standard farmland

This year’s Government Work Report stated that 80 million mu of high-standard farmland will be newly constructed.

In 2019, the State Council announced that by 2020, the country would have developed 800 million mu of high-standard farmland—concentrated and contiguous, capable of ensuring stable yields regardless of drought or flood, water‑efficient and highly productive, and environmentally friendly. By 2022, the target was to build 1 billion mu of such farmland, thereby stabilizing grain production capacity at over one trillion jin. By 2035, through ongoing renovation and upgrading, the total area of high-standard farmland nationwide would be further expanded, continuously strengthening the foundation for national food security. The Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy has proposed innovating investment and financing models, increasing financial support for high-standard farmland development, and ensuring adequate funding for farmland‑construction projects.

Reason for inclusion: Building high-standard farmland is a key manifestation of the strategy to “store grain in the land,” and it serves as an essential prerequisite for boosting grain production and ensuring food security.

3 Bountiful Harvest in Agriculture

The Government Work Report calls for prioritizing agricultural production. It aims to stabilize the area sown to grain and maintain stable output, increase the multiple-cropping index, raise the minimum procurement price for rice, enhance rewards for major grain-producing counties, and vigorously control major pests and diseases. It also stipulates strict penalties for illegal occupation of arable land and seeks to develop 80 million mu of high-standard farmland. Rural reforms will be deepened, pig production will be restored, and the responsibility system—under which provincial governors are accountable for ensuring food security and mayors are responsible for keeping vegetable supplies stable—will be firmly enforced.

On the 22nd, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Changfu stated at the “Ministerial Passage” during this year’s Two Sessions that the overall outlook for agricultural production remains very favorable. He added that a bumper harvest is in sight, with harvesting expected to begin shortly after the conclusion of the Two Sessions. Meanwhile, Zhao Wanping, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and vice president of the Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, proposed optimizing the regional layout of agriculture, refining the agricultural industrial structure, promoting the integrated development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors, and enhancing the added value of agriculture.

Reason for inclusion: A bountiful harvest is the cherished hope of hundreds of millions of farmers. Abundant yields bring joy to their hearts.

4 Increasing Farmers’ Incomes

The Government Work Report proposes expanding channels for farmers to find employment and increase their incomes. It calls for supporting rural residents in seeking jobs and starting businesses close to home, scaling up work‑for‑relief programs, and ensuring that returning migrant workers can earn a living and secure stable incomes. The report also advocates bolstering moderately sized agricultural operators and strengthening socialized services for farming households. Furthermore, it seeks to increase investment through special-purpose bonds to support modern agricultural infrastructure, safe drinking water projects, and improvements to the rural living environment, thereby continuously enhancing farmers’ production and living conditions.

Ouyang Hua, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and Party Secretary of Baita Village in Xizhu Town, Yixing City, proposed developing distinctive local industries to boost farmers’ incomes. Shen Changjian, also a deputy to the National People’s Congress, suggested breaking the bottlenecks that constrain rural income growth. Li Zongsheng, another NPC deputy, recommended leveraging high-quality, premium-priced agricultural products to help increase farmers’ earnings and upgrade the agricultural sector. Meanwhile, Ma Xulin, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Director-General of the Universal Service Department of the State Post Bureau, called for actively expanding cold-chain logistics in rural areas to enhance the quality of agricultural products and ensure sustained income gains for farmers.

Reason for inclusion: True prosperity lies in increasing farmers’ incomes; when their wallets grow fuller, their lives improve.

5 Digital Agriculture

National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference member Shi Ke has proposed intensifying research, development, and dissemination of advanced, intelligent agricultural machinery; while National People’s Congress deputy Zhang Daoheng has called for leveraging digital technologies to empower modern agriculture and enhance the distinctive image of local specialty industries.

National People’s Congress deputy and Tencent Chairman of the Board and CEO Ma Huateng has proposed stepping up the deployment and investment in new infrastructure in rural areas, so that the vast rural population can share in the benefits of digital economic development. By overcoming geographical constraints, this would help extend digital education, digital healthcare, and other digital resources more broadly to rural communities.

Reason for inclusion: Further advance smart‑rural development, enhance the level of digital governance in rural areas, and promote high‑quality agricultural development.

6 Farmers’ Retirement System

Wang Xuekun, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Party Secretary and Director of the China Youth Research Center, has proposed establishing a rural retirement system as a prominent hallmark of the comprehensive building of a moderately prosperous society, enabling farmers aged 65 and above to “leave the fields to rest while enjoying adequate support in their old age” and fully reap the benefits of this endeavor.

Reason for inclusion: Establishing a retirement system for rural residents is, at its core, about addressing their pension needs. As the process of professionalizing agriculture advances, introducing such a system can be seen as a promising trend for the future.

7 Unmanned Farm

Yang Guoqiang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Chairman of the Board of Country Garden, has proposed accelerating the deployment of “unmanned farm” application scenarios, widely adopting cutting-edge agricultural and livestock robotics technologies, and comprehensively elevating the level of automation across the agricultural value chain—measures that will serve as a crucial means of securing a leading position in the global future of agriculture.

Reason for inclusion: Recently, the “Unmanned Farm” research project of South China Agricultural University was featured on CCTV. An unmanned farm is a production model that seamlessly integrates information technology, intelligent agricultural machinery, and agronomic practices; it stands as a hallmark of modern agricultural development and points to the future direction of smart agriculture.

8 Developing New Types of Agricultural Operators

National People’s Congress deputy and Chairperson of the Guoliuxiang Guava Professional Cooperative in Gaozhou City, Guangdong Province, Wen Jinling, has proposed that, based on the resource endowments and comparative advantages of rural areas across the country, we should innovate and refine mechanisms for linking farmers’ interests, while promoting and supporting a group of leading agricultural enterprises—characterized by diversified operations, strong market competitiveness, and significant contributions to regional development—as well as new types of agricultural business entities, farmer cooperatives, and family farms that are closely integrated with and mutually beneficial to their member farmers.

Reason for inclusion: New types of agricultural entities are a vital force in developing modern agriculture and achieving rural revitalization, serving as key leaders that help farmers soar together on the path to moderate prosperity.

9 Branding of Rural E-commerce Products

National People’s Congress deputy Yang Hailing suggested that grassroots governments should be encouraged to innovate the mechanisms for advancing regional public‑brand development, concentrating resources and efforts on building flagship brands. National People’s Congress deputy Yang Li proposed promoting the standardized and branded development of rural e‑commerce to ensure food safety for rural farmers.

Developing rural e‑commerce urgently requires strengthening the talent pool. Representative Yang Hailing proposes integrating rural e‑commerce talent development into local vocational education, establishing training institutions for agricultural professional managers, rural artisans, cultural experts, and inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, and innovating training approaches to provide farmers with more effective programs. Reason for inclusion: While “rural e‑commerce” is hardly a new concept, branding is what enables it to go further. Since the onset of the pandemic, rural e‑commerce has played a crucial role in connecting agricultural production with sales and alleviating the difficulties farmers face in marketing their products.

10 Highly Qualified Farmers

At present, China has cultivated a high-caliber farming workforce of 16 million, which has played a pivotal role in the development of modern agriculture.

Zhang Gaiping, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, believes that the shortage of agricultural and forestry talent is particularly evident in the relative scarcity of high‑level personnel holding postgraduate degrees or higher. To address this issue, Zhang Gaiping has proposed that the Ministry of Education support a special enrollment program for the Central Plains Agricultural and Forestry Graduate School. During this year’s Two Sessions, Lei Mingqiang, a member of the National Committee of the CPPCC, deputy director of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, and president of the Hunan Provincial Socialist College, submitted a proposal calling for strengthened efforts to develop and cultivate high‑quality farmers.

Reason for inclusion: When talent thrives, agriculture prospers, and rural areas flourish. High-caliber professionals serve as a powerful catalyst for agricultural development and rural revitalization.

Compiled from: China.org.cn, Sina Weibo, China Newsweek, and Agricultural Inputs Herald.