By Ye Xingqing, DRC

2017-2-13

The No.1 Central Document was officially released recently, which has shifted the policy focus from agricultural modernization emphasized in recent years onto giving prominence to agricultural supply-side reform in line with government work in agriculture and rural areas.

First, improving the quality of green development serves as the core to transform the way of development and promoting reform in agriculture. 1. The document emphasizes agricultural supply-side reform, through which China can realize agricultural modernization. 2. The document points out that addressing structural problems by way of reform could increase agricultural efficiency, production and green coverage.

Second, some new policy measures have been added to the document. 1. The document underlines the guiding role of green development. 2. The document gives first priority to ecological issues in agricultural development. 3. The document holds that marginal capacity needs to exit the market in developing efficient aquaculture industry.

Third, the document includes a number of highlights to help release agricultural and rural development potential. The document stresses that the government needs to incorporate rural network infrastructure program into rural infrastructure construction, which would enable the implementation of Internet Plus project in rural areas. In addition, the document also illustrates the importance of developing new industries and new business forms.

Fourth, in 2017 rural reform would bear some new features. 1. Compared with the past, there will be some new changes in terms of agro-products price formation mechanism and the system for purchasing and stockpiling major agricultural products. 2. Agricultural subsidies will be provided according to a green development-oriented mode. 3. The document shows that more reform measures will be taken in homestead system. 4. With regard to the introduction of rural talents, the document emphasizes the need to flesh out agricultural employment system and encourage farmers to find jobs outside agricultural sector and it also requires to improve rural entrepreneurship innovation system.