The arrival of Grain in Ear signifies the ripening of crops such as barley and wheat. It is also a busy period for farmers on the Land of Abundance. Harvesting machines are galloping in the waves of golden wheat in northeast Sichuan, smart rice transplanters are coming to the fore in the high-standard farmland of Chengdu Plain, drones are hovering over the fruit-bearing forests of West Panzhihua Modern Agricultural Park…
The just-concluded 12th Sichuan Provincial Congress of the Communist Party of China made effective plans for expanding and strengthening characteristic agricultural industries and coordinating rural revitalization and new urbanization. On June 7, the General Offices of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and the People’s Government of Sichuan Province issued the Implementation Plan on Adjusting and Improving the Use Scope of Land Transfer Revenue with Priority Given to Rural Revitalization, specifying that by the end of the 14th Five-year Plan, the proportion of the province’s land transfer revenue used in agriculture and rural areas will reach more than 50%.
Both the effective plans of the authorities and the hard work of the farmers add vigor to Sichuan’s effort to build itself into a province that has a strong agriculture, a beautiful and revitalized countryside, and prosperous farmers.
Bearing in mind the earnest instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, Sichuan gives priority to work concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers, formulates high-level plans, makes all-out efforts, achieves breakthroughs in key fields, and seek innovation-driven development. By building a series of flagship projects, the province boosts the growth of agriculture, leads provincewide farmers to embark on a new journey of rural revitalization across the board, and strives to transform the instructions and plans of the leader into a beautiful reality.
Helping ensure food security and the supply of important agricultural products in China
On June 8, 55 rice varieties shortlisted for “Rice Fragrance Cup” high-quality rice selection event were sowed in the same field at Tianfu Modern Seed Industrial Park of Qionglai City. In more than two months, they will be evaluated in the field by national agricultural experts.
“Rice Fragrance Cup” is a benchmark for high-quality rice in Sichuan. In 2018, the event was resumed after a break of more than 10 years. This year, the winners will be commended in the name of the provincial Party committee and the provincial government for the first time. It has become the unshirkable pursuit of Sichuan people to plant good grain, keep Sichuan’s “rice bag” well-filled and help China fill its rice bowls with home-grown grain.
Sichuan is one of the 13 major grain-producing provinces in China and the only one of its kind in western region. It is also a major province of grain consumption. In recent years, the No. 1 Documents of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee, has continued to focus on food security. This year, the committee has even given top priority to ensuring food security for the first time.
Sichuan holds both CPC committees and governments responsible for food security, and implements powerful measures for farmland protection. Those who fail to fulfill the targets and tasks of grain production will be vetoed in one vote for evaluation and commendation of agriculture-related work. While ensuring the supply and the stable price of fertilizer and other agricultural materials, Sichuan implements the policies to benefit agriculture, rural areas and farmers. This year, the subsidy standard for major grain growers in the province remains at 80 yuan per mu to ensure their reasonable returns from grain production. Breakthroughs have been made in rice breeding. In recent years, the new varieties represented by “Yi Xiang You 2115” and “Chuan You 6203” have rewritten the history that “there is no good rice in Sichuan”. In 2020, the province’s grain output reached 70.54 billion jin, exceeding 70 billion jin again after 20 years. In 2021, the figure was 71.64 billion jin, a new high.
Bearing in mind the country’s most fundamental interests, Sichuan also pays close attention to the “meat plate” and “oil bottle”, and spares no efforts to ensure the supply of important agricultural products. This year, the No.1 Document of the CPC Central Committee mentioned the zonal compound planting technology of corn and soybean developed by Sichuan. Corn and soybean are being sown in the added 3.1 million mu of demonstration areas for promoting the technology. As the largest province in pig raising, Sichuan has rolled out “Nine Pig-related Measures”, “Eight New Measures” and “Ten Pig-related Measures”. At the end of last year, the pig production capacity returned to a normal level.
Building up flagship agricultural projects in industrial parks
“Steady!” Wang Yuanwei, head of Yixin Agricultural Machinery Specialized Cooperative in Meishan City, is confident about the results of the new variety test project he undertakes.
His confidence comes from Meishan Dongpo District Modern Agricultural Industrial Park, the first national one of its kind in the province, where the cooperative is located. The industrial park concentrates its effort to build Chinese Pickle City. Dongpo pickles produced there, taking up one third of the market in the country, generated an output value of 20 billion yuan in 2021.
The collaboration between well-established pickles and industrial park is the epitome of the province’s efforts to build a “10+3” industrial system for modern agriculture. The CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and the People’s Government of Sichuan Province have proposed that relevant parties should focus on developing “green, high-quality, characteristic, competitive, innovative and practical” products, promoted the integrated development of Sichuan pigs and Sichuan cuisine, and consolidated three pioneering pillar industries, including the modern agricultural seed industry.
Industrial parks drive the rapid development of industries. In a bid to promote high-quality development of agriculture and foster a 10+3 industrial system for modern agriculture, Sichuan has attached great importance to modern agricultural industrial parks and issued assessment and incentive plans. Every year, a special fund of 500 million yuan is allocated for subsidies to star parks identified at the provincial level. Sichuan has established the mechanism of industry-based facilitation by leading provincial officials and management of industrial parks by a county supervised by a city. It is the first province in the country to implement the accountability system of the Party secretary and chief in a county as head of industrial parks. By the end of 2021, the province has successively established 1,178 agricultural parks at the national, provincial, municipal and county levels, including 107 provincial star parks. Among them, there are 13 national modern agricultural industrial parks, which makes Sichuan rank among the top provinces in the country in terms of the number of such parks.
The province has formed a “10+3” industrial system for modern agriculture, and developed an array of advanced characteristic industries with great momentum and brands with increasing influence.
In 2021, the comprehensive output value of Sichuan tea surpassed 100 billion yuan for the first time, after Sichuan pigs, Sichuan grain and oil, Sichuan cuisine, Sichuan fruit, and Sichuan cattle and sheep. That of the bamboo industry topped 80 billion yuan. Beautiful bamboo forests also help farmers increase their income. “Tianfu Rapeseed Oil” is the first public brand of rapeseed oil in a provincial-level region in China, marking that Sichuan plays a leading role in the industry in the country. “Danling Orange” has been included in the list of the top 100 most valuable brands in China for many times, “Dongpo Pickles” have been sold in more than 100 countries and regions, caviar produced in Sichuan was chosen for the launch dinner of Michelin Guide Guangzhou …
Striving to develop industries, talent, culture, ecology and organization
Previously, Sichuan had 4,610 townships (sub-districts), ranking first in China. Santai County, Mianyang City, allocated more than 80 million yuan of annual operating funds to villages (communities), of whom each got less than 80,000 yuan. How to effectively boost rural revitalization?
At the beginning of 2019, Sichuan launched a major fundamental campaign with broad coverage and far-reaching influence — the reforms to redefine townships and villages (hereinafter referred to as the Two Reforms). The number of townships (sub-districts) was reduced to 3,101 and that of villages to 26,369 from 45,447. At the end of last year, Sichuan started to focus on working out zone-based plans for rural territorial spaces, in a bid to pave the way for accomplishing the “second half” of the Two Reforms and usher in a new stage of rural economy and governance. The province has demarcated 809 and 6,812 zones at the township and village level respectively; and set up 700 central towns and 128 sub-central towns. On the basis, resource factors are allocated, productive forces are distributed, infrastructure is constructed and public service facilities are installed.
The reforms empower rural revitalization and unleash the dividends.
Under the guidance of the Two Reforms, Sichuan has made strenuous efforts in developing talent, culture, ecology and organization in addition to industries, so as to pursue high-quality development in rural areas.
Rural areas gather talent. In recent years, the province has attracted more than 14,000 excellent migrant workers back to serve as village officials. More than half of the new Party secretaries of villages have college diplomas or above, and in 97.5% of the villages, the Party secretary also serves as the head of the village committee. Last year, nearly 40,000 teachers, doctors, agricultural technicians and other talent were recruited. Another 36,000 high-quality farmers were trained.
The beautiful countryside is more livable. Since last year, the province has promoted the five-year campaign of “Beautiful Sichuan · Livable Villages” in a zone- and category-based approach. By the end of last year, sanitation facilities were installed at 87% of villages, and 96% of villages were covered by a collection, transportation and processing system for household waste.
Social etiquette and civility have been cultivated. Sichuan took the lead in China in completing the provincial legislation on advancing rural revitalization on all fronts, has announced two batches of rural production and living heritage lists, has launched the traditional festival vitalization program and the “Hundreds-Thousands-Ten Thousand Project” of rural culture vitalization, moral lectures have been offered and cultural halls have been built across the province…
Sichuan strives to build rural areas with thriving businesses, pleasant living environments, social etiquette and civility, effective governance, and prosperity.
