Highlighting the imperative role of food security, China emphasizes both output and production capacity, both agricultural production and ecological conservation, and both output expansion and income growth in its 2026 "No. 1 central document", said an official on Wednesday.
China released its "No. 1 central document" for 2026 on Tuesday, outlining plans to advance agricultural and rural modernization and to promote all-around rural revitalization.
Following the document's release, Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and director of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, told a press conference that the document focuses on securing the foundation of national food security and makes arrangements for enhancing the comprehensive production capacity and quality and efficiency of agriculture from three aspects.
"First, we will give priority to grain production. We will keep total grain acreage stable while increasing per-unit crop yields, enhance agricultural efficiency through a combination of high-quality land, superior seeds, advanced machinery and effective methods, and promote the growth of per-unit area yield of grain and oil crops on large tracts of land, in order to secure a grain output of 700 million metric tons," said Han.
Meanwhile, China will channel great energy into optimizing the plantation structure and regional distribution while improving the quality of grain variety, Han added.
"Second, we will focus on improving grain productivity. Efforts will be intensified to launch a new round of initiatives to increase grain production and take comprehensive steps to consolidate the foundation of food security. We must not only strengthen the protection and quality improvement of arable land, but also ensure the grain yields through science and technology. We should enhance the efficacy of agricultural sci-tech innovation, redouble efforts to make breakthroughs in key agricultural technologies, and boost the efficient application and commercialization of scientific achievements. We will also deeply integrate technological innovation with industrial innovation, empowering modern agricultural development with artificial intelligence and other modern technologies," said Han.
Han stated that efforts should also be made to strengthen disaster prevention and mitigation, enhance monitoring and early warning capabilities, and improve the response capacity to deal with extreme weather, ensuring a bountiful harvest.
China's 2026 "No. 1 central document" focuses on ensuring food security: official
