context: Food security has long been a priority for Beijing. 2023's Rural Work Conference and 2024's No.1 Document both called for a lift in grain production of 50 million tonnes, however neither set a deadline. A new action plan aims to address a host of hurdles, such as a lack of rural planning support and low grain cultivation on completed high-standard farmland.
After consultation with the NDRC (National Development and Reform Commission) and MARA (Ministry of Rural and Agricultural Affairs), the State Council issued the ‘New round action plan for increasing grain production capacity by over 50 million tonnes (2024-30)’.
NBS (National Bureau of Statistics) show that from 2016–22
- meat rose from 26.1kg to 34.6kg per capita, up 36 percent
- aquatics rose from 11.4kg to 13.9kg, up 22 percent
- poultry rose from 9.1kg to 13.5kg, up 29 percent
- eggs rose from 9.7kg to 13.5kg, up 39 percent
Meat consumption is expected to peak at 75.7kg per capita in 2035, according to Huang Qingsheng 黄庆生 MARA's Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine Bureau Feed and Forage Division director, in a paper published in January 2024.
With feed already around 60 percent of total grain consumption, Huang expects demand to hit 331.03 million tonnes by 2030, up 31.73 million—or 63 percent of the action plan goal.
Although the plan is yet to be made public, an NDRC official discussed it in an interview with Xinhua on 9 April.
- background
- 650 million tonnes grain production for nine consecutive years
- 493kg per capita grain availability
- consumer demand is driving the need for further increase
- the existing production-demand gap may widen further
- grain production capacity increases needed to guarantee food security
- requirements
- develop
- farmland
- water conservancy
- seeds
- ag machinery
- fertilisers and pesticides
- modern farming techniques
- infrastructure
- develop
- goals
- grain production increase of over 50 million tonnes by 2030
- strict protection of arable land
- maintain a 1.75 bn mu (~117 million hectares) grain sowing area
- maintain a 1.45 bn mu (~97 million hectares) cereal sowing area
- grain yield around 420kg/mu (6300kg/hectare)
- improve rice and wheat quality
- integrate supporting facilities to boost corn yields
- fully tap the potential of soybean production according to local conditions
- develop high-quality potatoes and non-major grains and beans to meet market demand
- key tasks
- strengthen Party leadership and Party Central Committee leadership
- increase local party committee and local government responsibilities
- particularly arable land protection
- focus on grain production key areas and weak links
- consolidate and improve major production areas
- tap the potential of other regions
- 720 counties nationwide will be guided by the national and local governments on
- ag water-saving irrigation
- high-standard farmland construction
- seed industry revitalisation
- yield increase per unit area
- green grain production
- ag mechanisation
- disaster prevention and reduction
- comprehensive saline-alkali land use
- building grain processing, warehousing and logistics facilities
- source funding through multiple channels, including national and local governments, ag finance and ag industry entities
- encourage ag finance entities to increase lines of credit for grain-related projects
- promote moderate-scale operations and effective management
- continuously enhance labour productivity, land output rate and resource use
- ensure grain farmer incomes
- compensate major grain-producing areas
- enhance ag social services
- strengthen
- grain supply chains
- grain reserve and regulation capabilities
- grain market regulation
- maintain ‘reasonable’ grain prices