No 1 Document for 2009

III. Strengthening modern agricultural material support and service system

10. Speeding up agricultural technological and scientific innovation

Inputs for agricultural technology and science will be increased, multiple channels will be explored to raise funds, agricultural scientific and technological innovation funds will be established and scientific research on priority fields, important products and core technologies will be supported as the priority. The important science and technology program of breeding of GMO new varieties should be accelerated, scientific research resources should be consolidated to intensify research and development, to breed as soon as possible high efficiency, high yielding and high quality GMO varieties that can resist pests and stresses, and to promote the formation of industrialization. Technological important projects of strong heterogenesis of major crops will be implemented. Agricultural IPR protection will be intensified. Dragonhead enterprises will be supported to implement national S&T projects. We will strengthen and improve modern agricultural integration technology system, promote activities of achieving high yield of grain, oil-bearing crops and cotton, support S&T personnel and university graduates to work at the frontline of agro-technological extension. Agricultural S&T training will be carried to nurture a new type of farmers. Through commissioning and bidding, farmer specialized technological association and other civil organizations will be guided to implement agricultural technological extension service projects of public goods.

11. Accelerating the construction of high grade standard farmland

Great efforts will be made to improve land, carry out planning, arrange various construction funds, in a coordinated manner, for land improvement and reclamation, integrated agricultural development, to implement rural land improvement in compact areas and promote integrated improvement of farmland, irrigation facilities, roads and forests. Medium and low yield farmland will be renovated and the proportion of high quality farmland will be increased. The “Fertile Soil Program” will be continued, the scope of fertilizer application according to soil test will be expanded. Trials of award and subsidy to encourage farmers to use organic fertilizer, plant green manure and return crop stalk to farm field will be carried out. Protective tillage will be developed with great efforts and upland agricultural development program will be implemented in a speedy manner.

12. Strengthening construction of water conservancy infrastructure facilities

Harnessing big rivers and important medium and small rivers should be strengthened, a number of large and medium water conservancy hub projects will be constructed. Progress of reinforcing and risk eradication of dangerous large and medium and important small reservoirs will be speeded and the quality of works must be ensured. The investment scale will be increased focusing on speeding up the componential construction and water-saving renovation of large irrigation projects. The regeneration and renovation scale and scope of large irrigation and drainage pumping station will be expanded, regeneration and renovation of high elevation pumping stations along the Yellow River in the northwest and drainage pumping station in water logged areas of the northeast will be launched. Water-saving renovation of hub works of medium irrigation schemes in comprehensive agricultural development should be strengthened in continuity. Earmarked subsidy fund from the central and provincial finance to the construction of small-scale on-farm irrigation works will be increased. In accordance with the planning, investment will be consolidated to push forward on-farm works of large and medium irrigation schemes and water-saving renovation of small irrigation projects, high efficiency water-saving irrigation technologies will be popularized, in line with local conditions, small and micro water source projects to hedge against drought will be constructed and water conservancy in pastoral areas will be developed. The construction of important water source projects and their component irrigation schemes will be strengthened. Water conservancy project management and rural water conservancy system reform will be promoted, financial subsidy system for the operation management of agricultural irrigation works will be explored and comprehensive reform trials to alleviate the burden of agricultural water use will be initiated.

13. Accelerating promotion of agricultural mechanization

Agricultural mechanization enhancement programs will be launched focusing on the construction of demonstration bases and field roads, improvement of agricultural machinery extension services and safety supervision capacity. Mechanization of sowing and harvesting of major grain and oil-bearing crops should be popularized; R&D of lightweight and convenient agricultural machinery for hilly areas and large-scale agricultural machinery suitable for operation of large areas should be speeded up. Support will be given to technological transformation of the agricultural machinery industry to increase the applicability and durability of agricultural machinery products, and the post-sales service should be truly enhanced. Trials of subsidizing mechanized operations at the important stages should be undertaken. Credit support will be given to the procurement of large and medium-sized agricultural machinery by large agricultural machinery farmer households, large grain producing households and agricultural machinery service organizations. Agricultural fuel supply guarantee mechanism will be improved and the economic compensation system will be established for the regeneration and scrapping of high energy consumption agricultural machineries.

14. Promoting the construction of key ecological projects

The achievements of arable land conversion will be consolidated and we will continue to implement key projects of controlling wind and sand around Beijing and Tianjin, increase investment in natural forest protection, develop relevant policies concerning the extension of the implementation of the natural forest protection program and improve the investment and construction mechanism of the three-north forest belt program. Modern forestry will be established, unique forest products of mountainous areas, ecological tourism and carbon sink forests will be developed. The scope of implementation of arable land conversion to grassland will be expanded and the development of artificial fodder crop land and irrigated grassland will be developed. The construction of fire monitoring and early warning system for forest and grassland and fire control infrastructure facilities should be intensified. Control of desertification and small watershed harnessing in important areas will be accelerated, integrated control program of water and soil erosion of slope arable land will be initiated, prevention of flush flood and mudslide and other geographic disasters will be strengthened. The ecological compensation standard of the central finance for forest will be increased and trials of ecological compensation for grassland, wetland and water and soil conservation will be launched.  It is necessary to arrange earmarked fund and use award to push forward pollution control and support pollution control in agriculture and rural areas.

15. Strengthening agricultural product market system construction

We will make extra efforts to support the construction of distribution infrastructure facilities as agricultural wholesale markets and rural fair markets in the key producing areas and the major distribution areas. Efforts will also be made to promote the construction of large hubs of grain circulation, cold chain system of agricultural products and distribution center of fresh agricultural products. The policies of terminating the collection of management fees of individual industrial and commercial households and that for rural fairs should be implemented. Large-scale supermarket chains and enterprises of agricultural production distribution will be supported to undertake integration with agriculture and supermarkets to establish direct procurement bases of agricultural products. The role of rural traders should be fully tapped. Green channel policy for the transportation and marketing of fresh and live agricultural product will be gradually improved and long term implementation is needed, efforts will be made to push forward nationwide toll-free transportation of fresh and live agricultural products in legal and full truck load.

16. Promoting the construction of agricultural public service institutions at the grassroots

Following the requirements of establishing public service institutions nationwide in 3 years, including township or regional agro-technological extension, animal and plant epidemic disease control and agricultural product quality supervision, we will clearly define the responsibilities, staffing, guarantee funding and increase the capacity of service. The management and operation mechanisms will be innovated, through open recruitment and competition, we will recruit outstanding professionals. Performance examination and distribution systems will be reformed, the income of the service providers will be coupled with the responsibility of the job and work performance.  The funds required by the agricultural public service institutions to perform their responsibilities will be incorporated in the local various finance budgets. Trials of setting up village service stations will be gradually carried out.