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

Release Date:

2020-06-05

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 reporters’ questions, declared, “We have full confidence and unwavering resolve regarding food security,” offering reassurance to the Chinese people. In addition, Hu Wuyue, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and Secretary of the Xuchang Municipal Party Committee in Henan Province, called for stabilizing grain production and improving agricultural quality, while Jiang Zelin, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Chairman of the Jilin Provincial CPPCC, proposed enhancing the country’s overall grain‑production capacity.

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, raise the multiple-cropping index, increase the minimum purchase price for rice, boost 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. Furthermore, it calls for deepening rural reforms, restoring hog production, and ensuring that provincial governors are held accountable for food security and city mayors for vegetable supply.

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 structure of the agricultural sector, promoting the integrated development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, 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 find work and earn an income. 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 living environments, thereby continuously enhancing farmers’ production and living conditions.

National People’s Congress deputy and Party Secretary of Baita Village in Xizhu Town, Yixing City, Ouyang Hua, proposed developing distinctive local industries to boost farmers’ incomes; National People’s Congress deputy Shen Changjian suggested breaking the “bottlenecks” that constrain rural income growth; National People’s Congress deputy Li Zongsheng recommended leveraging high‑quality, premium‑priced agricultural products to increase farmers’ earnings and upgrade the agricultural sector; and National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference member and Director-General of the Universal Service Department of the State Post Bureau, Ma Xulin, 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 member Shi Ke has called for intensified research, development, and dissemination of advanced, intelligent agricultural machinery; while National People’s Congress deputy Zhang Daoheng has proposed leveraging digital technologies to empower modern agriculture and enhance the distinctive image of local specialty industries.

National People’s Congress deputy, 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 farmers across the country can share in the benefits of the digital economy. By overcoming geographical constraints, this initiative would enable digital education, digital healthcare, and other digital resources to reach even more deeply into 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 introducing 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 and enjoy secure elderly care,” thus fully reaping 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, broadly 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 future development of global 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 partner 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: Rural e‑commerce is hardly a new concept; only branding can ensure sustained growth. Since the onset of the pandemic, rural e‑commerce has played a crucial role in connecting agricultural production with sales and alleviating the difficulties faced by farmers in marketing their products.

10 High-Quality Farmers

At present, China has cultivated a highly qualified workforce of 16 million farmers, which has played a vital 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 Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences. 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.