Deepening Rural Reform and Promoting Agricultural Modernization —— Interview with Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 31st (Reporter Lin Hui)General Secretary of the Supreme Leader recently hosted a rural reform forum in Xiaogang Village, Fengyang County, Anhui Province and delivered an important speech. Han Changfu, Minister of Agriculture, said in an interview with reporters that the important speech of the General Secretary in Xiaogang Village is a strong signal to strengthen agriculture and attach importance to agriculture, and it is also a heavy hammer to speed up rural reform and development, and it is also a horn to promote agricultural modernization, which further strengthens our confidence and determination to promote rural reform, development and stability.
Deepen the reform of rural land system and collective property rights system.
Q:What key points should be grasped in rural reform at present and in the future?
Han Changfu:Reform is the driving force of agricultural and rural development. In accordance with the spirit of the General Secretary’s important speech and the requirements of the central government’s deployment, we should base ourselves on the present and focus on the long-term, and do a good job in deepening the reform of rural land system and rural collective property rights system, which are the key tasks of laying the foundation and managing the long-term.
The main line of deepening rural reform under the new situation is still to deal with the relationship between farmers and land. With the deepening of industrialization and urbanization, the subject of land contracting right and the subject of management right are separated in fact, which puts forward new requirements for the design of land system. Realizing the separation of contracting right and management right is the direction and major innovation of deepening the reform of rural land system, which is conducive to safeguarding and realizing farmers’ rights and interests and stimulating the vitality of rural development. The premise of "separation of powers" is "implementation of ownership". We are studying the problem of stabilizing rural land in contract relationship and keeping it unchanged for a long time, and put forward specific opinions on the contract period and the way of extending the contract after the expiration of the second round. The basis of "separation of powers" is "stable contracting right". By carrying out registration and certification of contracted land, farmers can really eat "reassurance". The core of "separation of powers" is "freeing management rights", and it is necessary to encourage exploration and innovation, respect farmers’ choices, and develop various forms of agricultural moderate scale operations such as land circulation, land trust and land shareholding.
The reform of rural collective property rights system is a major institutional innovation after the rural household contract responsibility system, which takes care of the long-term, fundamental and overall situation. Promoting this reform is conducive to the formation of an innovative and developed rural property rights system, the improvement of the rural basic management system, the promotion of farmers’ property rights and interests, and the sharing of the fruits of reform and development among the broad masses of farmers. According to the requirements of the central authorities, it is imperative to find out the family background and establish the institutional framework. We should pay close attention to the introduction of reform documents and do a good job in pilot projects, actively explore the quantification of shares to collective members and implement the reform of joint-stock cooperative system, promote the construction of a rural collective property right system with clear ownership, complete power, smooth circulation and strict protection, realize the equal exchange of urban and rural factors, and increase farmers’ property income.
Constructing "Three Systems" and Accelerating Agricultural Modernization
Q:What ideas and measures does the Ministry of Agriculture have in promoting agricultural modernization?
Han Changfu:It is necessary to accelerate agricultural modernization by building a modern agricultural industrial system, production system and management system.
First, we must promote the structural reform of the agricultural supply side and build a modern agricultural industrial system. Guided by market demand, optimize, raise and refine agricultural industry. Since last year, the Ministry of Agriculture has deployed the structural adjustment of planting, animal husbandry and fishery. In the next step, we will intensify our work, pay close attention to the implementation of measures, and make a good combination of agricultural structural adjustment.
The second is to strengthen the support of material technology and equipment and build a modern agricultural production system. Arm agriculture with modern facilities, equipment and technical means, develop green production, and improve the level of improved varieties, mechanization, science and technology, informationization and standardization of agriculture.
The third is to develop moderate scale management and build a modern agricultural management system. Promote the common development of family management, collective management, cooperative management and enterprise management, and improve the level of intensification, scale, organization, socialization and industrialization of agricultural management. The key point is to cultivate new agricultural business entities and new professional farmers, develop agricultural producer services, pay close attention to study and improve the support policies for new business entities, explore various forms of moderate scale operations, and solve the problems of "who will plant the land" and low operating efficiency.
Unswervingly adhere to and improve the basic management system in rural areas
Q:What should we focus on in promoting rural reform and development?
Han Changfu:To maintain rural harmony and stability, the first thing is to stabilize the rural basic management system. Rural basic management system is not only the foundation of rural economic system, but also the basis of rural social governance mechanism, which affects the whole body. To deepen rural reform, the biggest policy is to adhere to and improve the basic rural management system and never waver. To insist on the collective ownership of rural land by farmers, the basic position of family management and the stabilization of land contract relationship, these three "hard levers" must be grasped well. In particular, the reform of rural land system must be carried out prudently and steadily. If you can’t see clearly for a while, don’t rush to move, have some historical patience and don’t rush into it. Land is the survival foundation and emotional dependence of farmers, and it is the "lifeblood" of farmers. Only when the rural land contract relationship is stable can people’s hearts be stable. In the reform of rural land system, we must respect the wishes of farmers, do not engage in coercive orders, and ensure that farmers’ rights and interests are not harmed.
To maintain rural harmony and stability, we must stabilize effective rural policies. The policy is stable, the people are stable, and the countryside is stable. It is necessary to continuously increase and improve the support policies, so that farmers can get more benefits and have more "sense of gain". China’s agricultural and rural economic development in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan has created another best period in history, which proves that a series of policies of the central government to strengthen agriculture, benefit farmers and enrich farmers in recent years are effective and must be adhered to for a long time and constantly improved.
To maintain rural harmony and stability, we must also vigorously promote farmers’ employment and income. Increasing farmers’ employment and income is the biggest livelihood in rural areas. Only when farmers have jobs and "money bags" really swell up can rural harmony and stability be based. It is necessary to support farmers’ employment and entrepreneurship, especially the entrepreneurship of returning migrant workers, as the focus of promoting farmers’ income. Broaden the channels for farmers to increase their income, tap the potential of increasing income within agriculture, vigorously develop new industries and formats such as leisure agriculture and e-commerce, cultivate new income growth points, and promote farmers to increase their income continuously and rapidly.