China outlines key tasks to fully advance rural vitalization in 2022

China unveiled its "No 1 central document" for 2022 on Tuesday, outlining key tasks to comprehensively push forward rural vitalization this year.

As the first policy statement released by China's central authorities each year, the document is seen as an indicator of policy priorities. Work on agriculture and rural areas has been high on the agenda for 19 consecutive years since 2004.

The document called for efforts to stabilize and increase agricultural production, steadily raise farmers' income, and ensure stability in China's rural areas to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and other changes unseen in a century and promote sound economic and social development.

"We must firmly hold the bottom lines of guaranteeing China's grain security and ensuring no large-scale return to poverty," the document noted.

China will enhance grain production and the supply of vital agricultural products, it said.

Measures will be taken to ensure that the sown areas for grains remain stable and the full-year grain output stays above 650 billion kg.

Efforts will also enhance the production capacity of soybean and oil plants and ensure the supply of key products such as pork and vegetables, said the document.

The document detailed reasonable protection of farmers' income from growing grains and coordinated regulation on major agricultural products.

In 2022, China aims to develop 6.67 million hectares of high-standard farmland, promote national projects on black soil protection, and launch the third nationwide soil condition census, noted the document.

It also specified measures to vigorously promote the research on vital agricultural core technologies such as germplasm, enhance applications of agriculture machinery and equipment, accelerate development of facility agriculture, and effectively prevent and respond to major agriculture-related disasters.