China will advance all-around rural revitalization, according to a government work report delivered by Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday.
China's top legislature opened its annual session on Thursday morning at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Party and state leaders attending the opening meeting alongside more than 2,700 NPC deputies.
Li outlined the series of measures China will take in order to enhance grain production, consolidate poverty alleviation gains and advance rural reform and development.
"We will advance all-around rural revitalization and keep a firm focus on grain production. We will place equal emphasis on output and capacity, production and conservation, and output expansion and income growth. On this basis, we will step up efforts in the latest round of initiatives to raise grain production capacity by 50 million metric tons," Li said.
Li said the country will keep the total area of farmland above the specified red line, conduct strict management over the offsetting of cultivated land that has been diverted to non-agricultural uses, advance the high-quality development of high-standard cropland, step up protection of black soil, and strengthen comprehensive use of saline and alkaline soils.
Li said measures will be worked out to develop agricultural insurance, and the comprehensive capacity of the agricultural sector for disaster prevention and mitigation will be enhanced. Initiatives will be advanced to invigorate the seed industry, and faster moves will be taken to identify and cultivate ground-breaking seed varieties and promote their use.
He added that the R and D and application of appropriate, advanced agricultural machinery and equipment will be promoted so that agricultural technologies reach the fields and farmers.
"We will implement coordinated policies on production, purchasing, and storage to keep the prices of grain and other major agricultural products at reasonable levels. All localities must shoulder their share of responsibility and make concerted efforts to ensure the security of China's food supply," Li said.
"We will provide regular, targeted assistance and carry out regular assistance programs under the rural revitalization strategy in conjunction with relevant initiatives, so as to guard against any large-scale lapse or relapse into poverty. Assistance polices will generally remain unchanged," said Li.
He said the government will set appropriate standards for identifying people who are at risk of lapsing or relapsing into poverty and carry out monitoring to ensure early detection, intervention, and assistance.
"We will continue to advance rural reform and development. We will nurture distinctive rural industries, and refine mechanisms for involving more rural residents in local industry development, so as to sustain rural income growth," he said.
China to advance all-around rural revitalization: report
