Momentum in agriculture must be kept to help revitalize rural areas

According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, the nation’s agricultural sector saw an added value of 1.13 trillion yuan ($174.4 billion) in the first quarter, 8.1 percent higher than the same period last year.

That number is the best explanation of what is quality development in the agricultural sector, and marks a good start for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).

The 8.1 percent growth means the incomes of farmers are rising, agriculture has an increasingly solid foundation, and rural areas enjoy an improving outlook. For the whole nation, that means solid support for social and economic development.

Yet these achievements are not the end. They mean heavier tasks ahead.

First, the central leadership has included the task of keeping grain output over 650 billion kilograms in the macroeconomic control objectives for this year, which is the most important task in this year’s priorities for agricultural and rural affairs. For that purpose, it is necessary for local governments to guide production and popularize key technologies to help farmers raise their productivity.

Second, the grain quality must be improved, so that Chinese farmers can raise better crops and cattle in a more efficient way. The amount of arable land must also be protected so that grain production can be ensured.

Besides that, new subsidies and new technologies are needed to enhance the whole industrial chain to better support agriculture.

With the country having achieved its goal of eliminating extreme poverty, the next step is to better construct the countryside so as to achieve full prosperity sooner. It must resolutely consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation and effectively connect that work with efforts to revitalize rural areas.

To improve the livelihoods of rural residents, the living environment in rural regions must be improved, so that rural residents can live more comfortable lives. Public services should be upgraded and more rural infrastructure constructed. Small towns should become regional centers to serve rural residents.

To sum up, the 8.1 percent added value marks a good start for agricultural and rural affairs, but it is necessary to build on that momentum and to further propel the development of the agricultural sector.