Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Hu. Now, the floor is open for questions. Please identify your news agency before raising your questions.

CNR:

I have noticed that Jilin's total grain output has exceeded 40 billion kilograms for three years in a row. So, as an important province for agriculture and grain production, how does Jilin plan to fulfill its role in firmly safeguarding food security in China? Thank you.

Hu Yuting:

Thank you for paying attention to Jilin's agricultural development. Jilin has been a frontrunner in terms of grain production in China. It is located in one of the three major black soil areas in the world and is renowned for its advantageous conditions for cultivating corn and rice. It is also endowed with vast plains and boundless stretches of land for developing large-scale modern agriculture. 

You just mentioned that Jilin's total grain output has exceeded 40 billion kilograms for three consecutive years. Last year, Jilin's total grain output reached 41.865 billion kilograms, rising to the fourth position in the country. The per-unit output ranked first among major grain-producing provinces. More than 90% of the grain output was commercialized, and more than 50% of the grain output was allocated outside the province. Under the new initiatives of increasing grain production capacity by 50 million metric tons, Jilin is assigned to accomplish one-fifth of the total increase, or 10 billion kilograms. As a result, Chinese citizens will be able to enjoy more grain produced in Jilin.

These are the due responsibilities we need to shoulder to realize the goal of continuing to safeguard national food security. The task is weighty, and the solution lies in fostering new quality productive forces in agriculture and in raising total factor productivity through the following measures:

First, we will increase fertile farmland. Jilin has nearly 100 million mu (6.67 million hectares) of black soil land, often referred to as the "giant panda of farmland." We have leveraged our scientific and technological strengths to better protect and utilize black soil, and ensure grain output. We have promoted new, eco-friendly farming methods, such as returning plant stalks to fields and implementing no-tillage planting. Additionally, we have renovated and improved medium- and low-yield fields. This year, we aim to create 666,667 hectares of high-standard croplands, striving to be the first to upgrade all basic croplands to high-standard ones. We will also develop saline and alkaline lands as backup resources to expand agricultural production, expecting a 133,333-hectare increase in fields. We aim to add 4.3 billion kilograms of grain output by sustainably utilizing farmlands to enhance grain production capacity.

Second, we will cultivate quality seeds. Seeds are dubbed as the "chips" of agriculture. We have actively promoted the revitalization of the seed industry and established breeding platforms for key crops such as corn, rice and soybeans. We advocate for the integration of seed breeding, propagation and popularization to expand the use of quality seeds. Thanks to the use of fine seeds, per-unit yields have increased, resulting in a 3 billion-kilogram output increase.

Third, we will utilize high-quality equipment. The overall mechanization rate in crop production in Jilin has reached 94%, which is 20 percentage points higher than the national level. Moving forward, we will focus on developing high-end, smart agricultural machinery, including powerful equipment suitable for flatlands, small-sized machinery for hilly terrain, and innovative solutions that address market gaps, particularly unmanned ones. Mechanization improves efficiency and reduces losses, resulting in a 150 million-kilogram increase in output.

Fourth, we will adopt useful measures. Fertigation and compact planting enable a 30% increase in output per mu (0.067 hectares). We promote commercial agricultural services, provide support to new types of agribusinesses, and expand large-scale, intensive, and standardized operations. Through the utilization of new technologies and services, output has increased by 3.75 billion kilograms.

Lastly, we will develop smart agriculture. We have established digital platforms for agricultural development, promoted soil testing and formulated fertilization plans, deciphered the secrets of soil composition, and expanded the application scenarios of the Jilin-1 satellite to include soil moisture content monitoring, early warning of crop diseases and pests, and meteorological services. This will empower large-scale modern agriculture with smart technologies.

We are confident in maintaining a strong growth momentum of grain production. The province's expected grain output in 2024 is 44 billion kilograms and that of 2030 is anticipated to exceed 50 billion kilograms. Thank you.