Accelerating Agricultural and Rural Modernization

In November 2021, the State Council issued the “14th Five-Year Plan for Promoting Agricultural and Rural Modernization.”

Guiding Ideology for Agricultural and Rural Modernization

Guided by Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and deeply implementing the spirit of the 19th National Congress and the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth plenary sessions of the 19th CPC Central Committee, we will coordinate and promote the overall layout of the “Five-Sphere Integrated Plan,” advance the “Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy,” earnestly implement the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, adhere to the general tone of seeking progress while maintaining stability, base ourselves on the new development stage, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, build a new development pattern, adhere to the priority of agricultural and rural development, integrate agricultural modernization with rural modernization, promote them together, and make promoting high-quality development the theme, with the focus on ensuring supply and security and revitalizing smooth circulation. We will deepen the supply-side structural reform in agriculture, place rural revitalization in a prominent position in the construction of socialist modernization, achieve an effective connection between consolidating poverty alleviation results and rural revitalization, and fully promote the revitalization of rural industries, culture, ecology, talents, and organizations. We will accelerate the formation of a new type of relationship between industry and agriculture, between urban and rural areas, characterized by mutual promotion, coordinated development, and common prosperity, promote high-quality and efficient agriculture, create livable and business-friendly rural areas, and make farmers prosperous and affluent, thus providing strong support for the comprehensive construction of a socialist modern country.

Main Goals of Agricultural and Rural Modernization

By 2025, the agricultural foundation will be more solid, rural revitalization will be fully promoted, and significant progress will be made in agricultural and rural modernization. We will advance the modernization of agriculture and rural areas in a phased manner, with conditions permitting some areas to take the lead. The results of poverty alleviation will be consolidated, and a smooth connection between poverty alleviation and rural revitalization will be achieved.

1. Effective guarantee of the supply of important agricultural products such as grain: The comprehensive grain production capacity will steadily improve, maintaining an output of over 1.3 trillion jin, ensuring basic self-sufficiency in grains and absolute security in staple food.

2. Steady improvement in the quality, efficiency, and competitiveness of agriculture: The agricultural industrial structure and regional layout will be significantly optimized, material equipment conditions will continue to improve, and the levels of scale, intensification, standardization, and digitization will further increase. The supply capacity of green and high-quality agricultural products will be significantly enhanced. The industrial and supply chains will be optimized and upgraded, and a modern rural industrial system will basically take shape.

3. New progress in rural infrastructure construction: Significant results will be achieved in rural construction, the rural layout will be further optimized, rural living facilities will be continuously improved, and the equalization of rural public services will steadily increase.

4. Significant improvement in the rural ecological environment: The overall rural living environment will be upgraded, agricultural non-point source pollution will be effectively curbed, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides will continue to decrease, resource utilization efficiency will steadily increase, and positive progress will be made in green and low-carbon production and living in rural areas.

5. Further enhancement of rural governance capacity: The construction of grassroots organizations in rural areas under the leadership of Party organizations will be significantly strengthened, the rural governance system will be more complete, rural customs and manners will be greatly improved, the spiritual life of farmers will be continuously enriched, and rural development security will be more effectively guaranteed.

6. Steady growth in rural residents’ income: Channels for increasing farmers’ incomes will continue to expand, rural residents’ per capita disposable income will grow in sync with GDP, the income gap between urban and rural residents will continue to narrow, and the scientific, cultural, and employment skills of farmers will further improve, with the ranks of high-quality farmers expanding.

7. Consolidation and expansion of poverty alleviation achievements: The poverty alleviation policy system and work mechanism will be effectively connected with rural revitalization, the results of the “two no worries and three guarantees” for the poverty-stricken population will be effectively consolidated, the dynamic monitoring and assistance mechanism to prevent poverty return will be improved and effectively operated, ensuring that large-scale poverty return does not occur.

Looking ahead to 2035, staged success will be achieved in rural revitalization, and agricultural and rural modernization will be basically realized.