context: Beijing revealed a cautious and inward-looking government report at the annual Two Sessions, with stability and risk control dominating the priorities for 2022. In terms of ag and rural development, food security is top of the list, while more efforts are called for to carry forward rural revitalisation.
The 2022 Government Work Report, delivered by Premier Li Keqiang 李克强 at the annual Two Sessions in Beijing, highlights several priorities for ag and rural development
- maintaining grain output above 650 million tonnes a year (mentioned on par with GDP, employment and price index goals)
- ensuring the stable supply of key ag commodities
- promoting the development of digital villages
- boosting domestic demand by building rural commercial systems and further developing rural e-commerce and express logistics
- promoting rural revitalisation and consolidating the achievements of Beijing’s campaign against poverty
- strengthening ag production, including
- strengthening ag support for farmers (e.g. via minimum purchase price policies)
- stabilising grain production levels; increasing ouput of soybean and oilseeds
- protecting the ‘red line’ of 120 million ha of farmland; building 6.6 million ha of high-quality farmland
- strengthening seed tech and ag machinery
The report also called for more foreign investment and advances in promoting pilot free trade zones such as Hainan Free Trade Port. Green and low-carbon development was highlighted, but the report did not elaborate on how this will affect agriculture and rural areas.
Facing an increasingly complex and volatile external environment, food security is Beijing’s top priority for 2022, notes Zheng Fengtian 郑风田 Renmin University School of Agriculture and Rural Development deputy dean. Boosting seed innovation, farmland protection and farmers’ incomes are key pillars in policy efforts to strengthen food production. Rural revitalisation will see further progress, with a particular focus on improving the rural living environment, Zheng anticipates.