Govt seeks to boost agriculture

Policy document calls for reform, innovation

China will step up reforms and innovation to speed up agricultural modernization in 2015, read a key policy document released on Sunday, underlining the importance of rural reforms and innovation in developing modern agriculture.

As China, under the "new normal," shifts from high-speed growth to medium-to-high-speed growth, it has become a key issue to continue consolidating the position of agriculture as the foundation of the economy and to further increase farmers' income, said the document.

The "No.1 Central Document" refers to the first major policy document of each year released by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council.

This is the 12th consecutive year in which the No.1 document has focused on agriculture and rural issues.

The document listed five aspects and 32 points for detailed government work on reforms related to the "three rural issues" - agriculture, rural areas and farmers.

According to the document, China will strive to transform the development mode of agriculture, boost policies that benefit farmers, push forward the building of a new socialist countryside, deepen rural reforms and strengthen the rule of law in dealing with rural issues.

"This year's document is a continuation of previous rural policies targeting the 'three rural issues,' and focuses on developing modern agriculture and increasing farmers' income through reforms and innovation," Li Guoxiang, a research fellow at the Rural Development Institute under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), told the Global Times on Sunday.

"Chinese authorities' focus on deepening rural reforms aims to activate the land and financial markets in the countryside," Li said. "As the reforms gain steam, the rural judicial system should be also improved to protect all interest groups."

The document also called for reforms of supply and marketing cooperatives and land reclamation, the first time such reforms have been included in the No.1 Central Document.

The country should also focus on advancing the transformation of grass-roots cooperatives, it said.

The document also said the country needs to enhance the integrated development of primary, secondary and tertiary industries in rural areas in order to boost farmers' income.

Efforts should be made to develop a unique planting and breeding industry as well as a services industry in rural areas in order to create more jobs for farmers, it said.

Policies for land use as well as fiscal and financial policies should be worked out to enhance tourism and leisure activities in villages, it said.

"The biggest highlight of this year's No.1 document is that for the first time it has proposed promoting integrated development of primary, secondary and tertiary industries in rural areas to benefit farmers," Ma Wenfeng, an analyst with Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consultant Co, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The document also stressed the need for innovation in the means of circulation and distribution of agricultural products,

Companies engaged in the e-commerce, logistics, trade and financial sectors should be encouraged to build e-commerce platforms focused on the agriculture sector, it said.

"Efficient circulation and distribution of agricultural products is key to reducing farmers' costs and maintaining food security," Ma noted.

"Introducing and encouraging e-commerce to help promote circulation and distribution of agricultural products is a wise policy move. But whether farmers can benefit depends on whether these policies are well implemented," Ma said, adding that conflicts between the vested interests of different departments could prevent effective execution of the policies.

The document said a strong agriculture sector is a prerequisite for a strong China.

Instead of focusing on high output and relying on consumption of resources, China should put an equal emphasis on quantity and quality, and attach importance to competitiveness, technological innovation and sustainable growth, it said.

The goal is to blaze a modern agricultural development path featuring high efficiency, product safety, resource protection and environmental friendliness, said the document.