People's Daily:
The "No.1 central document" emphasized "two ensures," with the first being to ensure national food security. Could you please outline the practical measures that will be taken to stabilize food production and ensure food security at a higher level? Thank you.
Zhu Weidong:
Food security is of utmost importance to any country. In recent years, facing challenges such as a severe global food security situation and frequent domestic natural disasters, we have prioritized feeding our population of 1.4 billion as the top task in our work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers. We have made every effort to boost production and secure good harvests. In 2023, China's total grain output reached a historic high of 695.41 million metric tons, up 8.88 million metric tons from the previous year. This ensures we have a sufficient food supply and full reserves, providing strong support for sustained economic recovery.
However, we should be aware that structural problems in the food supply remain prominent, and the tight balance between grain supply and demand has not fundamentally shifted. Therefore, we must redouble our efforts to ensure national food security at all times. This year's "No. 1 central document" coordinated work on grain production, circulation, and consumption, introducing a series of policies. Centering on ensuring food production and supply, the document outlined major measures such as stabilizing grain acreage and increasing per-unit crop yield, so as to maintain grain output above 650 million metric tons.
First, we will keep grain acreage stable. The key is to motivate farmers to grow grain and local governments to prioritize grain production. To encourage farmers, we will strengthen policies and measures regarding prices, subsidies, and insurance. In terms of prices, we will appropriately increase the minimum purchase price for wheat and set a reasonable minimum purchase price for rice to protect farmers from being harmed by low grain prices. In terms of subsidies, we will continue to provide subsidies for purchasing agricultural supplies with the aim of protecting the soil fertility of cultivated land. We will offer subsidies for corn and soybean producers, as well as for growing paddies. We will improve subsidies for purchasing and using agricultural machinery, optimize the mechanism for ensuring the supply and stabilizing the price of agricultural materials, and enhance the effectiveness of subsidies. In terms of insurance, we will expand the coverage of full-cost insurance and planting income insurance policies. We will work to ensure that the insurance policies are implemented across the country for the three staple grains — rice, corn and wheat, and cover more areas for beans in an orderly manner. Implementing these policy measures will ensure that farmers can profit from growing grain. To motivate local governments, we will emphasize both responsibility and support. We will ensure that both Party committees and governments assume responsibility for food security and step up efforts to support major grain-producing counties. Efforts will also be made to develop an inter-provincial horizontal compensation mechanism for the major grain producing and marketing regions. These efforts will motivate local governments to focus on grain production without suffering losses.
Second, we will focus on increasing per-unit crop yield. Given the limited arable land and minimal room for expansion, the potential for growth primarily lies in enhancing per-unit crop yield. The document clearly states that the focus for increasing grain output should be on significantly boosting per-unit crop yield on a large scale. This will be achieved by launching a grain yield improvement project and promoting high-quality fields, seeds, machinery, and practices. The focus should be on seeds and cultivated land. In terms of seeds, we will move faster to invigorate the seed industry and achieve breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, striving for significant progress. We will strengthen agricultural infrastructure for cultivated land, raise the investment standards and quality of high-standard farmland development, and improve water conservancy facilities. Efforts will also be made to enhance the capacity for disaster prevention, reduction, and relief in agriculture. We will implement multiple measures to promote a new round of action to increase grain output by 50 million metric tons.
Third, we will expand food sources. Ultimately, food security is about food sufficiency. Meat, eggs, milk, fruits, vegetables, and fish are all necessities for a high-quality life, and none should be missing from the dining table. Solving the food problem requires an all-encompassing approach to agriculture and food. While protecting the ecological environment, we will utilize all available land resources and establish a diversified food supply system to ensure that people across the country have enough to eat, a varied diet, and a healthy diet.
Fourth, we will enhance grain conservation and reduce food losses and waste. In a sense, conserving grain and reducing food loss is equivalent to increasing grain output and supply. Currently, there is significant grain loss at all stages of production, transportation, storage, processing, and consumption, with food waste at the dining table being particularly alarming. The document emphasizes the need to deepen food-saving actions, promote the value of thrift, cultivate healthy eating habits, and resolutely curb food waste, making grain conservation a widespread social practice. Thank you.
