Chinese President Xi Jinping quoted the sentence “Attaching importance to agricultural development is the country’s fundamental plan” while speaking at the Central Conference on Rural Work on December 28, 2020.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/ap1yg37QI7w
It is derived from the Book of Jin, an official historical record of the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). It stresses the importance of agriculture in the development and stability of a country.
The fifth Chinese Farmers’ Harvest Festival falls on September 23 this year. It is a festival to celebrate the role agriculture plays.
China saw an increase in its summer grain output this year.
With a large population, China gives top priority to food security, ensuring that supply is always under its own control and mostly domestically sourced.
Mindful of the importance of agriculture, the central authorities have focused their first policy statement each year on issues related to agriculture, rural areas and rural people since 2004.
China has adopted a strict farmland conservation system to ensure its total arable land area is no less than 120 million hectares. It has been bolstering soil fertility, boosting agricultural development through technology, and introducing improved seed varieties. For instance, high-yield rice hybrids developed by eminent scientist Yuan Longping have led to steep rises in grain output.
Modern machinery is employed across the country, from northeast China, a leading grain producer, to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, known for quality cotton, and the North China Plain, home to numerous farms that grow a wide variety of foods.
The government’s grain reserve policy, under which it procures staples at relatively high prices for the purpose of meeting future needs, is a boon to farmers.
China produces about a quarter of the world’s total grain output with 9 percent of its arable land, and delivers adequate food to one fifth of humanity.
Building on its success in eradicating absolute poverty, China is advancing a rural revitalization strategy with a focus on coordinated urban and rural development and common prosperity for everyone.
Green is gold.
Rural areas with beautiful scenery have become tourist attractions. Many farmers posting videos on their lives online have turned themselves into influencers with a large following. Selling farm produce via live-streaming platforms is now very popular.
Emerging trends like these characterize China’s rural economy today. While the countryside has come a long way from its underprivileged past, this adage continues to resonate.
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