No. 1 Central Document proposes to develop a modern agricultural system
Several Suggestions on Accelerating the Development of Modern Agriculture and Further Strengthening Vitality in Rural Areas
On January 31st, the Central Committee of the CPC and the State Council jointly issued China’s first policy document for 2013, Several Suggestions on Accelerating the Development of Modern Agriculture and Further Strengthening Vitality in Rural Areas. Since 2000, this has been the 10th No. 1 Central Document to address rural issues and rural development. On February 1st, the State Council Information Office held a press conference to discuss the document. Chen Xiwen, deputy chief and office director of Central Rural Work Leading Group, explained the basic contents and offered interpretation.
Chen noted that there has been a dramatic change in rural areas since the 16th National Congress of the CPC in 2002, during which time government policy has given farmers abundant benefits. 2012 marks the 9th consecutive year China has seen national gains in grain output, Chen noted, adding that the concurrent trends of industrialization, urbanization, and the spread of information technology have been accompanied by large-scale migration from rural areas to cities and expanding employment in the secondary and tertiary sectors. Additionally, social management in China’s countryside has moved to the next level. In the past decade, the infrastructure has undergone obvious development and a basic social security system has been put in place.
Facing emerging challenges and new problems in the future of Chinese agriculture, Chen advised that the coming eight years are significant for building an all-around well-off society, and that rural areas are the most critical in this process. The migration of farmers to urban areas is bringing about new challenges for agricultural production and management. In order to maintain the necessary production levels for grain and other agricultural commodities, China will need to accelerate the implementation of modern agricultural techniques, Chen said.
The Chinese version appeared in Chinese Social Sciences Today, No. 413, Feb. 4, 2013
Translated by Zhang Mengying