central doc no 1 outlines agricultural structural reform

The 2017 central doc no 1, says Tang Renjian 唐仁建 Central Rural Work Leading Group office director, adheres to the same conclusions reached by the Central Rural Work Conference; primarily, agricultural supply-side structural reform must adhere to the three bottom lines of

  • maintaining grain production capacity

  • supporting increases to farmers’ income
  • rural stability

The document, says Tang, identifies

  • the main objective as increasing farmers' income and ensuring efficient supply
  • the main direction as improving quality of agricultural supply
  • the fundamental requirement as institutional reform

Agricultural supply-side structural reform will be promoted through platforms, he says, noting

  • ‘three areas’
    • grain production functional area
    • important agricultural production protected area
    • characteristic agricultural product advantage area
  • ‘three parks’
    • modern agricultural industrial parks
    • science and technology parks
    • entrepreneurial parks
  • ‘one unit’
    • integration of farming, land, and leisure agriculture

Measures for agricultural supply side structural reform are divided into two parts, Tang says, noting

  • agricultural supply-side structural adjustment
    • includes product structure, production method, industry system, science and technology support, basic support
  • agricultural supply side structural reform, focusing on the relationship between government and market, and realisation of the ‘three activations’
    • activate market by implementing ‘market dictated prices and subsidies'
    • activate essential factors via innovation in resource allocation, and employment of under-utilised rural resources
    • activate entities by promoting agricultural management system reform, and promoting talent and entrepreneurship in rural and agricultural areas