China to advance agricultural modernization   

中央农村工作会议在京召开 李克强作重要讲话

中央农村工作会议22日至23日在北京举行。会议深入贯彻习近平总书记系列重要讲话精神，全面落实党的十八大和十八届三中、四中全会以及中央经济工作会议精神，总结2014年农业农村工作，研究依靠改革创新推进农业现代化的重大举措，全面部署明年和今后一段时期农业和农村工作。 [查看全文]

China concluded a rural work conference on Tuesday, vowing to push forward agricultural modernization through reform and innovation.

China made great progress in rural development in 2014 with its 11th consecutive bumper harvest and an increase in farm income, according to a statement released after the two-day central conference, which sets the tone for next year.

"However, China is facing 'unprecedented' challenges if it wants to achieve sustained and stable development in the agricultural sector," said the statement, citing rising agricultural production costs, impaired cultivation and limited arable land and fresh water.

Therefore, China will strive to transform the pattern of agricultural development, raise the output rate of the land, increase resource utilization rate to attain intensive and sustainable growth.

Under the economic "new normal", agricultural modernization is of great significance to stabilizing economic growth, adjusting structure and improving people's livelihood.

Top policymakers at the meeting pledged to make more efforts to speed up agricultural modernization in order to unleash farmer consumption potential and spur investment in rural infrastructure.

A growing agricultural sector will also forge new engines to propel China's economic expansion, according to the statement.

"Food security is China's top priority during the agricultural modernization process. China will keep cereal largely self-sufficient and staples absolutely safe," the statement read.

Farmers are encouraged to form new agricultural entities in an innovative way to achieve economies of scale.

To facilitate associating farmers and their lands, China will guide orderly transfer of management rights of rural lands to new agricultural entities.

China will exploit agricultural resources in a more friendly and "greener" way to protect farm land and fresh water.

Policymakers decided to extend greater policy support and beef up financial support to underpin rural development.

China will actively push forward the construction of "new socialist countryside" and improve living environment for farmers.

The country will also wage a war against poverty and release more farmers from poverty. At the same time, rural residents are encouraged to take advantage of urbanization and start small businesses.

The Central Rural Work Conference is an annual event for Chinese policymakers to deliberate on and map out rural policies for next year.

The meeting discussed a guideline of deepening rural reform and advancing agricultural modernization.