[New ideas lead a new journey] Intensify reform and innovation to comprehensively promote agricultural modernization

News: General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the key to building a strong agricultural country lies in science and technology, and reform is the key. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, my country has relied on science and technology and reform as the dual driving forces, focused on key core technologies, and accelerated the modernization of agriculture with reform and innovation as the driving force.

In spring, we fight for time; in summer, we fight for time. The national "three summers" have entered the critical period of summer planting and summer management. In one second, a high-powered combine harvester galloping in Kashgar, Xinjiang, can eat 12 kilograms of wheat in one bite; in one second, more than 2.6 million agricultural data are fed into the "Digital Beidahuang" platform, and the generated agricultural remote sensing map can guide the summer management of 1,335 plots of land in Heshan Farm; in one second, the flow rate of Shandong Weishan Irrigation District reaches 130 cubic meters, and the digital twin platform accurately adjusts the water volume to ensure the irrigation water for 1.2 million mu of corn fields. Looking at the vast fields, the surging scientific and technological power and innovation power are converging, jointly depicting a new picture of China's agricultural modernization.

Without agricultural and rural modernization, there will be no modernization of the entire country. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has made ensuring the effective and safe supply of important agricultural products such as grain the primary task of agricultural modernization, and has continuously consolidated and improved the comprehensive agricultural production capacity. Whether inspecting domestically or attending important meetings, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the importance of agricultural science and technology. He pointed out that "the key to agricultural modernization is the modernization of agricultural science and technology. We must strengthen the integration of agriculture and science and technology, and strengthen agricultural science and technology innovation"; "We must take the key core agricultural technology research as the guide, and focus on chassis technology, core seed sources, key agricultural machinery and equipment and other fields."

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, we have focused on tackling key technologies in key areas of agriculture, and a series of reform measures have been introduced to solve problems and make up for shortcomings.

In July 2021, the 20th meeting of the Central Committee for Deepening Reform reviewed and approved the "Action Plan for Seed Industry Revitalization", emphasizing the elevation of seed source safety to a strategic level related to national security, launching a national survey of agricultural germplasm resources, and continuously strengthening the backbone of enterprises in seed industry revitalization. This year is a key year for the seed industry revitalization action to shift from "three years to lay the foundation" to "five years to achieve results". The "national team" for seed breeding, consisting of 216 crop seed production base counties, 330 livestock and poultry core breeding farms, and 101 aquatic original breeding farms, has basically taken shape.

While the seed industry is accelerating the breakthrough of core technologies, the action to make up for the shortcomings of agricultural machinery and equipment is also being implemented in an increasing manner. By setting up a pilot zone for the research, development, manufacturing, promotion and application of "one large and one small" agricultural machinery and equipment, the research and development and application of my country's domestically produced high-horsepower continuously variable speed tractors and a variety of hilly and mountainous tractors have been continuously accelerated. In the just-concluded large-scale summer harvest across the country, large-feed combine harvesters equipped with the Beidou navigation system became the mainstream model for cross-regional operations, shortening the summer harvest time this year by 2 to 3 days compared with previous years.

Today, technological innovation is providing strong momentum for the development of agricultural modernization. In 2023, the contribution rate of agricultural scientific and technological progress in my country exceeded 63%, the contribution rate of varieties to yield per unit area reached 45%, and the comprehensive mechanization rate of crop cultivation and harvesting in the country exceeded 73%. With the further integration of digital technology into all aspects of agricultural production, my country's agricultural modernization has ushered in new development opportunities.

In Kunshan, Jiangsu, this 3,840-acre "digital field" is home to various innovative entities such as research institutes, large grain growers, and enterprises. The "smart brain" of the farmland they have built allows unmanned equipment to cover the entire process of plowing, planting, management, and harvesting in rice and wheat production.