Changjiang Daily:

Despite its long-standing reputation as the "land of fish and rice," Jiangsu has only half the national average of per capita arable land. How has Jiangsu managed to boost grain production and achieve stable and high yields as it advances agricultural modernization? Thank you.

Ma Xin:

It's well-known that Jiangsu boasts a strong industrial capacity, but actually, it also has a robust agricultural industry. Allow me to present two sets of figures in this regard. First, Jiangsu's total grain acreage has steadily remained above 80 million mu (about 5.3 million hectares) for 14 consecutive years. Its total grain output has consistently exceeded 70 billion jin (35 million metric tons) for 10 consecutive years, reaching a record high of 75.95 billion jin in 2023. The per unit rice yield surpassed 600 kilograms, ranking first among major rice-producing provinces. Second, Jiangsu has managed to produce 5.5% of the country's total grain with only 3.2% of the nation's arable land. It not only ensures self-sufficiency in grain for the province with the highest population density, but also results in a surplus in grain output that can be allocated to other provinces. General Secretary Xi Jinping commended this, saying, "this is rather extraordinary for a coastal province in the eastern region." To attain these achievements, we have focused our efforts on the following three aspects:

First, we have kept developing fertile cropland to ensure grain output. Jiangsu has been working to increase the amount of high-standard cropland, improving cropland quality, and enhancing its ecological environment. In the first three years of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), governments at all levels in Jiangsu have invested 28 billion yuan to add and rebuild 11.17 million mu of high-standard cropland. A total of 80% of Jiangsu's permanent basic cropland, totaling 42.8 million mu, has been converted into high-standard cropland. Starting this year, we will accelerate the implementation of digital monitoring for high-standard cropland, specify the total area, quality, productivity and operational details, and provide digital access to all high-standard cropland.

Second, we have highlighted the role of technology in boosting grain output. We have worked to make breakthroughs in key techniques related to seeding and agricultural machinery. The contribution of sci-tech progress to agricultural development has exceeded 72.5%, and the mechanization rate in the plowing, planting and harvesting of crops reached 87.2%, over 10 percentage points higher than the national average. Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), 14 of our rice varieties have been added to the list of super rice made by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, accounting for 11% of the nation's total. These improved varieties have contributed to over 45% of the increase in agricultural production.

Third, we have managed to secure the availability of farming workforce. Jiangsu has taken the lead domestically in training "new farmers." It established a specialized academy named after the well-known local agricultural expert Zhao Yafu to train "new farmers" for the new era. These farmers are not only passionate but also adept at technology, skilled in business operations and proficient in management practices. In recent years, Jiangsu has witnessed the rise of exemplary individuals such as Wei Qiao, honored as "National Outstanding Individuals in Crop Cultivation," who have served as inspiration for more "new farmers" to contribute to agricultural advancement.

Moving forward, Jiangsu will roll out a three-year action plan aimed at boosting per unit crop yield by making comprehensive enhancements in seeding, crop cultivation methods, agricultural machinery and the fertility of cropland. It will also take targeted measures to increase the output of rice, wheat and corn, and strive to realize a significant yet balanced increase in grain output. Thank you.