Agriculture enjoys a bumper year
CHINA overcame difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and kicked its agricultural and rural development into high gear in 2020, rounding off the goals set by the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), Tang Renjian, minister of agriculture and rural affairs, said yesterday.
Tang was speaking at a State Council Information Office press conference on the advancement of rural vitalization and acceleration of agricultural and rural modernization.
National grain output has remained above 650 million tons for six consecutive years, the contribution rate of science and technology agriculture edged up to over 60 percent and refined varieties were adopted in the production of nearly all the crops, said Tang, citing data from the “No. 1 central document” for 2021 released by the central government on Sunday.
The comprehensive mechanization rate of ploughing, sowing and harvesting reached 71 percent and the application of fertilizers and agrochemicals moved into negative growth for the fourth consecutive year.
A decisive victory was achieved in the fight against poverty, Tang noted. All impoverished people in rural areas have been lifted out of poverty and 832 registered poverty-stricken counties shook off poverty, eliminating absolute poverty and region-wide poverty.
The income of rural residents continued to grow rapidly. The income of farmers has grown faster than that of urban residents for 11 consecutive years. The urban-rural income gap narrowed from 2.64:1 in 2019 to 2.56:1 last year. The per capita income of farmers doubled the 2010 level one year ahead of schedule.
Tang said that living conditions in rural areas were appreciably improved, meanwhile, and the rough edges of infrastructure and public services were beefed up at a faster clip.
Food security
“For a big country like China, with a population of 1.4 billion, it’s an eternal theme to ensure food security,” Tang said.
Noting the national grain output reached a record of nearly 670 million tons in 2020, 5 million more than in 2019, Tang stressed “food supply in China is and will be always in a tight balance in the face of the growing population and the uncertain external environment.” To guarantee food security, Tang highlighted the importance of farmland protection and farming technology development.
“We will guard the red line of 1.8 billion mu (120 million hectares) of arable land and ensure the 1.55 billion mu of farmland to mainly produce crops, vegetables and fruits,” Tang said.
“We will fully protect and utilize rich black soil areas in northeastern China.”
Tang also emphasized the importance of developing modern agricultural technology.
Besides the quantity agricultural output, Tang said quality and diversity of crops, fruits and vegetables also need attention, because this could not only meet market demand, but also help increase farm income and improve efficiency.
FOR Tao Qijin, an apple grower in Luochuan County of Yan’an City of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, mature apples not only bring a sweet taste but also the promise of a prosperous life.
A 65-inch TV set in Tao’s house, and two cars parked outside, are visible parts of his wealth.
“I owe it all to apple growing,” said Tao, who also plans to buy a new apartment.
By 2000, Tao had already expanded his orchard to 1.6 hectares. He has upgraded the varieties of the apple trees five times since. In 2020, the orchard fetched him 540,000 yuan (US$84,000).
Before apples, Tao
tried growing wheat and tobacco, but could barely make ends meet for the family, once one of the poorest households in the village.
“Now these apple trees are my cash cows. I need to hire more than 20 helpers for the harvest,” he added.
Like Tao, an increasing number of farmers in Yan’an, the former revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China, have made their fortune from apple trees.
Yan’an’s apple cultivation originated during the period the city hosted the then headquarters of the CPC and was the center of the Communist revolution from 1935 to 1948.
Located on China’s Loess Plateau, Yan’an was one of the regions that suffered most from drought and soil erosion.
However, the Loess Plateau happens to provide optimum natural conditions for apple farming, such as high altitude, a deep soil layer, abundant sunshine, large temperature differences between day and night and moderate annual rainfall, making it one of the best apple-producing areas in China.
By the end of 2020, the total output of apples in Yan’an exceeded 3.7 million tons, accounting for one-ninth of the national output and onetwentieth of the global output, according to Lu Shuguo, head of Yan’an fruit industry center.
Also in 2020, Yan’an boasted 266,800 hectares of apple planting area, the largest among China’s prefecture-level cities.
As Yan’an strives to eliminate absolute poverty, apple farming has become a pillar industry for the city.
“At present, about half of the per capita disposable income of farmers in Yan’an comes from growing apples,” said Xue Zhanhai, the city mayor.
“The apples we grow have a beautiful shape, bright color and high sugar content,” said Wang Mingzhi, party chief of Luochuan County.
Apples from Yan’an are exported to more than 30 countries and regions including Russia, Canada, Italy and the United Arab Emirates.
Lu said that the annual output of apples in Yan’an is expected to reach 4.5 million tons by the end of 2025.