China is keen to accelerate technology innovation and scientific research in agriculture, a move to boost the country’s modern agricultural development, a central government statement said on Feb. 1.
China will intensify efforts to encourage development of both frontier agricultural technologies and basic research, so as to maintain sustainable agricultural growth, said the document issued jointly by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, China’s cabinet.
The move mainly aims to ensure the country’s food security and meet the demand of agricultural development, so as to improve land yield, resource efficiency and labor productivity, said the document.
The government will give support to agricultural research focusing on bio-safety, farm product safety, effective use of farmland, ecological restoration and genetic regulation.
The government also is eyeing major achievements in the development of agricultural bio-technology, seed production, new materials, precision farming, water-saving irrigation, new fertilizers, epidemic control, marine agriculture, product processing and shipping, and farm equipment.
Particular emphasis will be given to scientific innovation in seed production, it said.
China will support the cultivation of new varieties of seeds and promote commercialization of the industry by encouraging large enterprises to enter the seed market through mergers and acquisitions, as well as equity participation, said the document.
The country will work to establish an innovation system that allows researchers from all agricultural sectors to join scientific efforts, and an evaluation system that values practical solutions.
Government authorities will introduce favorable policies, like tax reductions, to encourage agricultural enterprises to focus more on scientific innovation and bring “new research achievements” to the market, said the document.
The government also promised to increase financial support for agricultural research, while attracting loans and venture capital to enterprises that innovate agricultural technology.
With more labs to be built, more efforts will be made to conduct major scientific projects that are related to agricultural development and of public benefit, and the cultivation of new varieties of genetically-modified organisms will be continued, it said.
Local authorities should further promote agricultural technologies and offer farming guidance to grassroot farmers while enhancing meteorological services. Schools and research institutions will also be important forces for the promotion, said the document.
The priority of the No.1 Document of the Chinese central government has changed from water conservancy investment in 2011 to agricultural science and technology in 2012. As key resources such as land, water and labor are becoming more scarce, the increase in productivity from investment in water conservancy and adoption of new technologies will be critical to producing adequate amount of and nutritious food for a more well-to-do and urban population in China. But for China, it is not a choice between water conservancy and technology. It needs both.
The government’s priority to accelerate investment in water conservation and irrigation projects in 2011 was widely welcomed, for it was long overdue. The government must keep this momentum and increase investment in irrigation for small farmers. It is important that these investments generate higher water supply capacity and help minimize the harms caused by droughts and floods. The government should also set up an effective monitoring and evaluation system to evaluate the progress, results and impact of such investment.
China’s agricultural technology is at the forefront of the world in terms of crop yield for major staples such as rice, wheat and corn. Indeed, China’s agricultural sector has seen tremendous improvements in productivity in the last few decades. According to United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates, rice and corn yields in China were almost two times higher in 2010 compared to 1980, while wheat yield was about three times higher. Now, China produces 50 percent more rice and wheat than the world average per unit of land.
But agricultural mechanization technologies, which have become more important as labor becomes scarcer still have much room for improvement. A