In 2006, China saw outstanding achievements in agriculture and economic development in the rural areas, with a total grain yield of over 490 million tons. This is the third successive year of grain growth following 2004 and 2005, and also the first time that the grain yield has maintained growth for three successive years since 1985.

Farmers' incomes have also kept a relatively fast growth for three successive years. It is expected that the per-capita net incomes for farmers in 2006 would be 300 yuan more than in 2005, up by over 6 percent, and also the first time that the growth rate of farmers' incomes has kept rising for three successive years since 1985.

Looking back on the history of agricultural development in China in the past 21 years since 1985, the country's grain output basically followed the "formula" of two years' bumper harvests followed by one year's poor harvest, never seeing a three successive years' growth, which is the same case with per-unit grain output.

China's per-unit grain yield in the past three years hit a historical high. In 2006, the average per-unit grain yield exceeded 155 kg, up by over two kg than the previous year, demonstrating that China's agriculture has begun to rely more on scientific progress for high output than on the expansion of arable land.

Moreover, the quality of grain keeps improving. Over 69 percent of produced rice proved to be of good quality, while the good quality rate for wheat, corn and soybean reached 55.2 percent, 42 percent and 65.7 percent respectively and the comprehensive good quality rate rose by 5 percentage points over 2005. China's 13 major grain- production regions contributed 75 percent of the country's total grain yield and are playing an increasingly important role in keeping a steady growth of grain output.

Sun Zhengcai, Party Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture of China, said at the national work conference on agriculture last December that 2006 also saw a stable and balanced growth of various sectors of agriculture. While cash crops increased steadily, the total output of cotton hit
6.729 million tons, and the unit production reached 83 kg per mu, both hitting a historical high. At the same time, the output of oil-bearing crops remained the same as before while that of sugar crops, vegetables, fruits, tea and silkworm pods is growing at a rapid speed.

Sun Zhengcai pointed out that in 2006 the CPC Central Committee and the State Council promulgated a series of incentive policies, controlling policies, supportive policies and financial support polices to promote the development of the country's agriculture and the improvement of the rural areas, which greatly stimulated farmers' enthusiasm for agricultural production. China's agriculture, farmers and the rural areas saw a sharp increase of policy-based input from the state: For the first time, subsidies were allocated before the spring ploughing to farmers for growing superior grain, for agricultural machinery and tools and for prescribed fertilization, three months early than in the previous years; for the first time, the state allocated 12.5 billion yuan worth of comprehensive subsidies to farmers for the increased expenses on agricultural materials and 2.89 billion yuan worth of fuel subsidy for fishing vessels; and for the first time, the state announced the lowest grain purchase price before the spring ploughing and announced that preparative scheme to carry out the lowest purchase price of wheat before summer. These policies and measures proved to have effectively ensured the fulfillment of the goal of agricultural and rural development in 2006.

At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture tried hard to carry out favorable policies for farmers. The above-mentioned subsidies amounted to 8.6 billion yuan, up by almost 1.6 billion yuan over the pervious year. The Central Government's input to the agricultural development amounted to 8.8 billion yuan, growing by 380 million yuan. Great efforts were made to maintain the stable growth of grain output and to implement regional planning on pillar farming products, which contributed to the outstanding achievements in the program of "every village of pillar agricultural products" and the "Sunshine Project" and helped the farmers to increase incomes in various ways.

Favorable polices ushered in a good harvest. The enthusiasm shown by China's 900 million farmers is the best response to the Central Government's preferential policies: It is predicted that the total grain output in 2006 would increase by about 6 billion kg over 2005.

"How to continue the growth momentum of the grain output will be a big challenge facing us in 2007," said Sun Zhengcai.

Sun added that unremitting efforts should be made to develop grain production, to steadily enhance the grain comprehensive productivity, to maintain a minimum of 1.58 billion mu of grain fields and to ensure the per-unit grain output grows at least 1 percent. We should press ahead with the restructuring of agriculture and steadily enhance the overall efficiency. Supervision over the quality of farm produce should be strengthened so as to make agricultural products safer. Great efforts should also be made to promote agriculture-related scientific and technological progress and innovation. The reform in the rural areas should be deepened and the agriculture should be opened wider to the outside world so as to bring more vigor to this industry. The government should spare no efforts to solve practical problems for the farmers and promote the construction of socialist new countryside.

To supply the Chinese with enough food through domestic grain production is a long-term principle and a macro-control policy that basically aims to balance the country's grain supply and demand. China's grain output has achieved three successive years' growth, which is presenting both opportunities and challenges. More importantly, three successive years' growth should never be used as an excuse for rest.

(China.org.cn)