Accelerate the construction of a strong agricultural country in the process of Chinese modernization
Authors: Zheng Huixia, Zhao Zao (both researchers of Socialism with Chinese characteristics Theoretical System Research Center in Henan Province, professors and associate professors of Party School of Henan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China).
The Party’s Report to the 20th CPC National Congress clearly proposed to speed up the construction of an agricultural power, which pointed out the direction and goal for the development of agricultural modernization. China is a traditional agricultural country with a long and profound farming civilization. China is also a country with large agricultural resources and population, rich in ecological resources, but relatively short in per capita resources. China can’t simply copy the development model of foreign agricultural modernization to build an agricultural power, but should focus on the resource endowment with a large population and a small land, the historical background of agricultural civilization and the requirements of the times of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, plan scientifically, step by step, adjust measures to local conditions, and slowly and steadily, and explore and open up the road to an agricultural power with China characteristics in the process of Chinese modernization.
1. Accelerating the construction of an agricultural power is an inevitable choice to promote Chinese modernization.
A strong country must first strengthen agriculture, and a strong agriculture can strengthen the country. Agriculture, which provides the most basic means of production and living for the development of human society, is the basis for our survival and development. It is inseparable from agricultural development to meet people’s needs for a better life, achieve high-quality development and lay a solid foundation for national security. For a long time before modern times, agriculture was the mother of civilization in both eastern and western countries. Even today, social division of labor and civilization progress have reached a higher level, and agriculture still plays the most basic supporting role, and its position is irreplaceable. Agricultural power is the foundation of socialist modernization power. No matter how high the degree of social modernization is, the stable supply of food and important agricultural products for more than 1.4 billion people has always been a top priority.
The experience of China’s socialist modernization construction shows that the prosperity of agriculture leads to the prosperity of all industries. Without the accumulation and support of agriculture, there would be no industrial development in China. Without the modernization of agriculture, the national modernization will lose its foundation. General Secretary of the Supreme Leader emphasized that without an agricultural power, there would be no whole modern power; Without agricultural and rural modernization, socialist modernization is incomplete. We must put accelerating the construction of an agricultural power on the important position of building a socialist modernization power. The basic requirement for building an agricultural power is to realize agricultural modernization. In the process of Chinese-style modernization, only when agriculture is strong and food security is fully guaranteed can we have sufficient confidence and strategic initiative to stabilize the overall situation, cope with the situation and open up a new bureau.
Entering a new stage of development, facing the basic national conditions that China is still in the primary stage of socialism and will be in it for a long time, facing the history and reality that the urban-rural dual structure has not been fundamentally changed, and the trend of widening urban-rural development gap has not been fundamentally reversed, and facing the development status quo of China’s agriculture, which is large but not strong, and many are not excellent, we can only anchor the goal of accelerating the construction of an agricultural power, maintain strategic strength and work hard for a long time, and accelerate the formulation of the plan for building an agricultural power. According to the goals of the next five years, 2035 and the middle of this century, we should formulate road maps and construction drawings respectively, strengthen the legal effect of planning, and speed up the shortcomings of agricultural modernization development, so as to provide a strong guarantee for the new journey of building a socialist modernized country in an all-round way.
At the same time, we should also be soberly aware that building an agricultural power is a long-term and arduous historical task, which should be solidly and steadily advanced by stages and persevered in the spirit of nailing. At present, we should focus on promoting rural revitalization in an all-round way and do more things that lay the foundation and benefit the long term. All localities should base themselves on resource endowments and development stages, give full play to their own advantages, serve the needs of the overall situation, start with the practical problems that are most urgent for local agricultural and rural development and most strongly reflected by farmers, fully mobilize the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of farmers, and vigorously promote the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, so that the appearance of agriculture and rural areas can be significantly improved and the living standards of farmers can be greatly improved.
2. Basic requirements for building a strong agricultural country
Agricultural power is a dynamic comparative concept. If a country’s comprehensive agricultural production capacity, industrial competitiveness or modernization level of advantageous agricultural sectors rank among the top in the world and can lead the development of world agriculture, it can be called an agricultural power. China’s transformation from a big agricultural country to a powerful agricultural country should not only follow the general law of agricultural modernization, but also combine with China’s national conditions and agricultural conditions and stick to its basic requirements.
Adhere to the Party’s overall leadership over rural work. To build a strong agricultural country, we must adhere to the principle of "agriculture, countryside and farmers" under the leadership of the Party. The Communist Party of China (CPC) scientifically drew the grand blueprint of Chinese modernization, grasped the strategic direction of modern agricultural development, and provided a strong guarantee for agricultural reform and development. Only by upholding the Party’s overall leadership over agricultural and rural work can it develop along the direction of socialist modernization. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, our Party has always attached great importance to strengthening the Party’s leadership over agricultural and rural work, given priority to the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, constantly improved the rural work leadership system with unified leadership of the Party Committee, responsibility of the government and overall coordination of the rural work departments of the Party Committee, implemented the requirements of five-level secretaries in provinces, cities, counties and villages for rural revitalization, and gradually improved the organizational system, institutional system and working mechanism of the Party’s leadership over rural work. At present, in order to accelerate the construction of an agricultural power, we should further give full play to the leading role of rural work leading groups of Party committees at all levels in overall planning and coordination, further improve the village-level organization system led by village party organizations, unite the strength of all parties, form a joint effort of concerted efforts, improve the Party’s ability and level of overall leadership of rural work in the new era, promote the rapid development of agricultural modernization with greater strength and more practical measures, and provide a strong political guarantee for accelerating the construction of an agricultural power.
Adhere to the road of moderate scale operation. It is the national condition of China that there is a large population and a small number of farmers, which determines that it is impossible for China’s agricultural modernization to achieve large-scale centralized management through land transfer in a short period of time, and it is also impossible to take the path of high investment and high cost in some developed countries, with small and complete facilities and equipment for every household. To build a strong agricultural country, we should give full play to the advantages of the two-tier management system based on household contract management and the combination of unification and separation, and take the road of moderate scale management. On the one hand, actively cultivate, develop and expand farmers’ cooperatives, family farms and other new types of agricultural business entities. On the other hand, it is necessary to build a benefit linkage mechanism between new agricultural business entities and small farmers, effectively introduce modern production factors into small farmers’ production, and help small farmers solve things that one household can’t do or can’t do well. This moderate scale operation can not only effectively solve the problems of low efficiency and benefit, weak ability to connect with the market and great difficulty in popularizing science and technology, but also conform to the actual situation of less cultivated land per capita, great regional differences and uneven distribution of land resources in China, and effectively promote the organic connection between small farmers and modern agriculture.
Based on the harmonious coexistence between man and nature. The total amount of agricultural ecological resources in China is large, but the per capita possession is low and the resource constraints are obvious. To speed up the construction of an agricultural power, we should resolutely abandon the development concept of endlessly demanding or even destroying nature, strive to avoid taking the old development road of "pollution first, then treatment", firmly establish and practice Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets’s concept, take ecological priority and green development as the guide, and unswervingly take the road of modern development of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Standing at the height of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, we should plan the green development path of agriculture and rural areas, keep the green mountains and rivers, and make ecological agriculture, green agriculture and low-carbon villages become the bright background of modern agriculture and rural areas in China. At the same time, deepen the reform of the compensation system for ecological protection, promote the realization of the value of ecological products, turn rural ecological advantages into industrial benefits and farmers’ income, and take the road of a strong agricultural country with a virtuous cycle of production and life ecology.
Simultaneously promote the common prosperity of farmers and rural areas. Realizing the common prosperity of all the people is one of the essential requirements of Chinese modernization. At present, the most arduous and arduous task of promoting common prosperity is still in rural areas. To speed up the construction of an agricultural power, we must put increasing farmers’ income and promoting common prosperity in rural areas in a prominent position. A strong agricultural country not only means strong agriculture, but also requires beautiful rural areas and rich farmers. Therefore, we need to strengthen the industry to supplement agriculture and the city to lead the countryside, promote the formation of a new type of relationship between workers and peasants, complement each other, coordinate development and common prosperity in urban and rural areas, adhere to the priority development of agriculture and rural areas, adhere to the integrated development of urban and rural areas, and smooth the flow of urban and rural factors, so as to solve the problem of unbalanced and insufficient urban and rural development and realize common prosperity in urban and rural areas. In addition, unlike the traditional capitalist agricultural development mode dominated by capital profit, the construction of an agricultural power with China characteristics requires that in the process of modern agricultural development, efforts should be made to promote the mutual integration and coordinated development of urban and rural areas in terms of factor allocation, industrial development, safety standards, public services and ecological protection, promote the equal exchange of urban and rural production factors, two-way free flow and rational allocation of public resources, and gradually narrow the gap between urban and rural development and the living standards of residents.
Inheriting and carrying forward Chinese excellent traditional farming culture. Farming culture is a unique culture preserved by rural society in China, which has great inheritance and development value. China was founded by agriculture since ancient times, and the farming culture has been evolving and developing in the long traditional agricultural economy and society, profoundly affecting the historical process of the Chinese nation, and still permeating all aspects of rural social life in China today. To speed up the construction of a powerful agricultural country, we should carry forward China’s excellent traditional farming culture in the construction of rural civilization, further tap the excellent ingredients contained in the traditional farming culture, make it a beneficial elements that shapes the family style of the new era and the spiritual world of new farmers, and provide rich spiritual and cultural nourishment for the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside.
3. Solidly promote the construction of a strong agricultural country.
Consolidate the foundation of food security in all directions and firmly control the initiative of "food security". Ensuring the stable and safe supply of grain and important agricultural products is the top priority in building an agricultural power. The Party’s Report to the 20th CPC National Congress clearly put forward to "lay a solid foundation for food security in all directions", further emphasizing the importance of food security. To ensure food security, first of all, we must protect the cultivated land that is related to the eating of more than 1.4 billion people, and there must be no mistakes. It is necessary to strictly guard against the red line of 1.8 billion mu of cultivated land, take hard measures to grow teeth, and implement the strictest cultivated land protection system. Secondly, efforts should be made to improve the conditions of farmland facilities and strengthen the construction of high-standard farmland. Supporting the construction of irrigation and drainage facilities, greenhouses and other facilities to improve the utilization efficiency of water and soil resources. Implement black land protection projects, strengthen agricultural non-point source pollution control, and improve the quality of cultivated land. Thirdly, adhere to the self-reliance of agricultural science and technology. Starting from cultivating good seeds, we should strengthen technical research on improved varieties and rely on China seeds to ensure food security in China. Finally, mobilize the enthusiasm of growing grain and grasping grain. Through a series of policies and measures, such as stabilizing and strengthening grain subsidies, improving the minimum purchase price policy of agricultural products, promoting the pilot project of grain crop insurance, implementing the interest compensation mechanism in major grain-producing areas, and supporting and rewarding major grain-producing counties, farmers can earn money from growing grain, so that the main grain-producing areas will not suffer losses.
Deepen reform in an all-round way and improve the quality, efficiency and competitiveness of agricultural industry. Improving agricultural competitiveness is the core of building an agricultural power. To speed up the construction of an agricultural power, we must adapt to the new era and new requirements, speed up the transformation of agricultural development mode, speed up the pace of agricultural technological innovation, and embark on an intensive, efficient, safe and sustainable road of modern agricultural development. First of all, on the basis of consolidating and improving the basic rural management system, we will further deepen the reform of rural land system, keep contract relationship stable and unchanged for a long time, release the institutional effect of "separation of powers" in land, and develop various forms of moderate scale management. On this basis, we will continue to explore a modern agricultural management system suitable for China’s national conditions, which will not only adhere to the basic position of family production and protect the interests of small farmers, but also actively cultivate new agricultural management entities, support and expand leading enterprises, and realize strong agriculture and rich agriculture through joint agriculture. Secondly, take the county as the main position to promote agricultural modernization, promote the two-way flow and equal exchange of talents, land, capital and other factors between urban and rural areas within the county, realize the integrated development of urban and rural areas, and activate the internal vitality of agricultural development. Finally, accelerate the application of digital technology in agricultural production, develop intelligent agriculture, strengthen the ability of scientific and technological innovation to fully empower agricultural production factors, improve agricultural labor productivity, land output rate and intelligent level of production tools, and greatly enhance China’s agricultural international competitiveness and core technology control in industrial fields.
Adhere to Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, improve the ability of agricultural sustainable development. Green development is an important way of agricultural modernization and the main content of building an agricultural power. To build a strong agricultural country, we should pay attention to the protection and effective utilization of ecological resources and environment, start with the important areas and key links that restrict the green development of agriculture, explore effective support policies such as the treatment of cultivated land polluted by heavy metals and the treatment of agricultural non-point source pollution, and promote the reduction and efficiency of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and the recycling of agricultural wastes. Accelerate the adjustment of agricultural industrial structure, actively develop circular agriculture and ecological livestock and poultry breeding, cultivate green and low-carbon agricultural industrial chain, strengthen the supervision of agricultural product quality and safety, increase the supply of green and high-quality agricultural products, and enhance the value of agricultural ecological products. Actively carry out the protection and restoration of rural ecological environment, promote the integration of industrial ecologicalization and ecological industrialization, transform rural ecological resources into ecological assets, and transform ecological benefits into economic and social benefits, so that a good ecological environment can truly become the greatest advantage and precious wealth of rural areas.
Improve the policy of supporting and protecting modern agriculture with China characteristics. The construction of a strong agricultural country cannot be separated from the government’s support and protection of agriculture, which is also a common choice for all countries in the world to promote the development of agricultural modernization. China has formed an agricultural support and protection policy system with the main goal of ensuring food security and increasing farmers’ income, which consists of direct subsidies, production support, price support and other expenses, covering all aspects of agriculture before, during and after production. At present, China’s agriculture has entered a critical period from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture. Accelerating the construction of an agricultural power requires further improving the institutional mechanisms and policy systems that benefit agricultural farmers, taking government actions as the guide, insisting on giving priority to agricultural and rural development, and guiding social capital to invest in agricultural and rural farmers; At the same time, we should innovate the system and mechanism to make the market play a decisive role in resource allocation, give full play to the government’s role, give full play to farmers’ main role, fully mobilize farmers’ enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, make the government, the market and farmers complement each other to form a joint development force, strengthen the construction of diversified agricultural support and protection system with China characteristics, and provide a solid guarantee for accelerating the construction of an agricultural power.
Guangming Daily (November 07, 2023, 06 edition)