China confident for increase of 50 billion kg grain by 2020

The General Office of China's cabinet, or the State Council, has released for circulation the Production Capacity Plan (2009-2020) for An Increase of 50 Billion Kilograms of Grain the Countrywide. In accordance with the "Plan", grain production in China will increase by 50 billion kg by the year 2020 on an existing basis, and this target is encouraging indeed. Some people, however, are worried whether China's food production target could be achieved as the nation's food production has almost filled to capacity.

China's grain production capacity for the year 2020 is set to reach 550 billion kilograms, or 50 billion kg above the current grain production capacity, according to the State Council plan, and this goal can certainly be attained, said an official of the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC) affiliated to it.

Due to an impact by the climate, changes in soil and water resources, farming practices and other factors, the official of SDRC noted, there still exists an imbalance of our food systems, in which rice and wheat exceed the demands whereas maze and soybean fall short of demand, To cope with the structure food consumption, he acknowledged, the "Plan" has made arrangements and worked out corresponding measures.

The "Plan" has been formulated chiefly out of considerations from the following circumstances: Agriculture remains the weak link in national economy, and cereals and food security situation still faces grim challenges. First, it is increasingly difficult to raise the current level of food production owing to a potential impact of farmland, water resources, climate and other related factors. Secondly, with a rigid, steady rise in the demand for grain, food supply and demand would be in a chronic state of rigid balance; thirdly, there exist acute, outstanding contradictions between the food variety mix and the arrangements for food production, food grain prices have vibrated on the global market, foods are subjected to tougher macro-control and, finally, policy support needs to be further enhanced so as to promote the low-reward food grain crop production.

To take into account of China's constraints in grain production, the "Plan" sets forth main methods for increased production for years ahead. They are, among others, to improve or add supplementary irrigation facilities, to transform low- or medium-yield fields and increase actual arable production capacity, to select, nurse and spread fine seed strains and update "older seed strains", to improve the farming methods and raise the multiple-crop index, to spread main technological measures, to upgrade farm mechanization levels, and to step up the insects or diseases-prevention and control, so as to reduce losses.

Meanwhile, with an aim to expanding the grain production capacity, the "Plan" points out or illustrates new ways to spur the growth of grain production, The methods epitomizes a nine-point, long-term mechanism, which includes, among others, the provincial governor's responsibility for food grain supply and a clarification of central and provincial government responsibilities in food production, the adherence to the household contract responsibility system and the spread of scale management of agricultural land. Moreover, all arable land should be definitely and strictly protected, the acreage sown to grain crops be stabilized, and the innovation of agricultural sciences and technologies be accelerated or hastened.

Furthermore, the SDRC official particularly emphasized that all agricultural land should be preserved and protected practically, the initiative of farmers for increasing grain production be protected and brought into a fuller play, and the acreage under food grain crops be stabilized. This lays precisely the basis for expansion of food grain production, the official said.

On top of this, the "Plan" clarifies both duties and obligations for government departments as well governments at different levels. The State Council and various ministries and commissions under it would, in line with their division of duties and obligation, work in close cooperation and coordination to render a greater help to local governments with regard to cereals production, and enhance the implementation of the State Council plan as well as the supervision and examination of its implementation. In order to make periodic appraisals and follow-up assessments on the environmental impact, they would make a comprehensive review once every four years and, in strict compliance with the review outcome, they would readjust and further improve the plan.

By People's daily Online and contribute by Zhu Jianhong