Agricultural science and technology innovation to lay a solid foundation for food security
On February 28, farmers drove a self-propelled high-pole sprayer to spray wheat in the Emperor’s Temple Village, Yuyue Town, Deqing County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Xie Shangguo)
Self-reliance of agricultural science and technology is the only way to achieve a strong agricultural country, the key to ensuring national food security, and an important measure to accelerate the modernization of agriculture and rural areas and comprehensively promote rural revitalization. To achieve high-level agricultural science and technology self-reliance, we should base ourselves on China’s national conditions and agricultural conditions, keep a close eye on the forefront of world agricultural science and technology, speed up key core technology research, and shape new kinetic energy and advantages of high-quality agricultural development with scientific and technological innovation.
◎ Our reporter Ma Aiping
The most arduous and arduous task of building a socialist modern country in an all-round way is still in the countryside.
The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China drew a grand blueprint for comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese modernization, and proposed for the first time to accelerate the construction of an agricultural power. In 2023, the No.1 Document of the Central Committee anchored the goal of accelerating the construction of an agricultural power and released a strong signal of accelerating the construction of an agricultural power.
"Facing the future, on the new journey of modernization, implementing the innovation-driven development strategy and adhering to the road of Chinese-style agricultural and rural modernization is the only way to build an agricultural power." Zhang Fusuo, deputy to the National People’s Congress and academician of China Academy of Engineering, said in an interview with the reporter of Science and Technology Daily.
Agricultural power is rich in connotation.
"Accelerating the construction of an agricultural power is the overall plan of the CPC Central Committee ‘ Two overall situations ’ , focusing on building a socialist modernization power in an all-round way, for a new era and a new journey ‘ Agriculture, countryside and farmers ’ The strategic deployment made by the work points out that ‘ Agriculture, countryside and farmers ’ The historical coordinates and the direction of endeavor. " On February 14th, Tang Renjian, director of the Office of the Central Leading Group for Rural Work and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said at a series of press conferences on the theme of "Opening by Authorities" held in the State Council Press Office.
"China is a big agricultural country, but it is not a strong agricultural country, mainly because our competitiveness is not very strong, and there is still a gap between some essential requirements of agricultural modernization. Therefore, the goal of accelerating the construction of an agricultural power is in line with the reality of China and our future development direction. " Li Chenggui, deputy to the National People’s Congress and president of the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, said.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China’s agricultural and rural modernization has made historic changes. The grain production capacity has stabilized at more than 650 million tons, the contribution rate of agricultural scientific and technological progress has exceeded 61%, the coverage rate of improved varieties of crops has exceeded 96%, and the comprehensive mechanization level of crop cultivation and harvest has exceeded 72%… …
"But compared with the international developed level, there are still many shortcomings and gaps in China. Generally speaking, China’s agricultural modernization is in the process of accelerating the expansion from agricultural modernization to rural modernization ‘ Meeting period ’ , the driving force of development is in the drive from factor to innovation ‘ Transition period ’ 。” Shen Jianzhong, member of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and academician of China Academy of Engineering, said.
Tang Renjian said that the connotation of an agricultural power is very rich, including both the development of productive forces and the transformation of production relations; It includes not only the all-round upgrading of agriculture, but also the all-round progress of rural areas and the all-round development of farmers. On the one hand, we must have the common characteristics of a strong agricultural country. It is necessary to follow the general law of agricultural modernization, find gaps, make up shortcomings, promote advantages, and build an agricultural power with strong supply security, strong scientific and technological equipment, strong management system, strong industrial resilience and strong competitiveness. On the other hand, we should reflect the characteristics of China based on the national conditions. China’s resource endowment with a large population and a small land, the historical background of farming civilization and the requirements of the times of harmonious coexistence between man and nature determine that we must rely on our own strength to secure our rice bowls and strive to embark on a road of agricultural modernization with China characteristics.
Science and technology empower agricultural power
"The process of building an agricultural power is also a process of applying modern technology and modern equipment, and a process of deeply tapping the development potential of agriculture. Science and technology is a key factor affecting the competitiveness of a strong agricultural country, and science and technology can move up the possibility boundary of production. " Li Chenggui told reporters that the most fundamental thing to build an agricultural power is to realize science and technology to empower agriculture and arm agriculture with agricultural science and technology.
The most essential feature of building a new development pattern is to achieve a high level of self-reliance. Without first-class agricultural science and technology, it is impossible to build a world agricultural power.
"Compared with developed countries, China’s agricultural science and technology independent innovation ability is still insufficient, the intensity of scientific and technological investment is low, and the efficiency of scientific and technological innovation system is not high, which has become an important shortcoming that restricts the high-quality development of agriculture. It is necessary to further enhance the strategic position of scientific and technological innovation in national agricultural and rural work, establish the priority development strategy of agricultural scientific and technological innovation, vigorously strengthen government support, accelerate independent innovation, give play to the advantages of the new national system, focus on breaking through the subversive and original frontier theory of major agricultural foundations, make every effort to win the tough battle of key agricultural technologies, strive to seize the commanding heights of world agricultural scientific and technological competition, and build a food security system and a high-level scientific and technological support system of self-reliance. Only by firmly grasping the initiative of China’s agricultural science and technology development can we ensure that China will move from an agricultural power to an agricultural power. This is both a key move and a decisive one. " Shen Jianzhong said.
Grain is safe in the world, and the cornerstone is planted. "Seed industry has made an important contribution to the agricultural development in China. The coverage rate of improved varieties of crops in China is over 96%, and the contribution rate of improved varieties to yield increase is 45%. As a whole, the seed industry has made rapid progress. However, there are still some structural problems, such as rapid progress in planting and breeding, and relatively lagging behind in animal husbandry breeding. " Li Chenggui said that from the perspective of development goals, crop breeding needs to be further strengthened and strengthened, and international competitiveness should be strengthened. In the future, animal husbandry should be more self-reliant and strengthen its independent research and development capabilities; From the perspective of path and policy, crop breeding needs more research and development in the form of cooperation between science and enterprises, while animal husbandry should stick to enterprises as the main body, because animal husbandry breeding needs quantitative genetic observation of large populations, and enterprises have more advantages in this respect. In addition, the development of animal husbandry should focus on introduction and improvement, and at the same time tap some local genetic resources, and gradually form independent varieties in the process of improvement. In seed industry management, it is necessary to strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, further stimulate the enthusiasm of scientists and breeders, and further standardize market behavior to make enterprises develop healthily.
Reasonable layout and solid progress
Building a strong agricultural country is a long-term task and systematic project, so we should pay attention to methods, especially to grasp the timing and efficiency.
Tang Renjian said that to speed up the construction of an agricultural power, first, we must accurately understand the work layout of agriculture, rural areas and farmers. Building a strong agricultural country is in the same strain as comprehensively promoting rural revitalization, with the same goal and unified process. At present, we should focus on promoting rural revitalization in an all-round way, do a good job in connecting the policy system with the work system, keep the focus unchanged, change the theme, adjust the channels, and maintain the continuity of work. The second is to strengthen overall planning. We will promptly study and formulate plans for the construction of a strong agricultural country, make overall planning and systematic arrangements, clarify road maps and construction drawings, and make solid and powerful progress. The third is to highlight the actual results. Focus on solving the practical problems that are most urgent in the development of local agriculture and rural areas and most strongly reflected by farmers, so that farmers can feel a real sense of gain, happiness and security in the process of rural revitalization.
Specifically, agricultural modernization depends on science and technology, and science and technology ultimately depends on people. "China’s agricultural science and technology workers group is the largest agricultural research group in the world. Report to the 20th CPC National Congress mentioned that science and technology are the primary productive forces, talents are the primary resources and innovation is the primary driving force. This is completely in line with the basic laws of human progress. " Li Chenggui believes that today, Chinese scientists enjoy excellent scientific research conditions and environment, and the vast number of agricultural science and technology workers should carry forward the scientific spirit, learn from the fine qualities of the older generation of scientists, and concentrate on scientific research around the high-quality development of agriculture and rural revitalization.
The Party’s Report to the 20th CPC National Congress pointed out that it is necessary to promote green development and harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
"China is a big agricultural producer, and agriculture shoulders a very important and arduous task in promoting the harmonious and symbiotic development between man and nature and promoting carbon neutrality in peak carbon dioxide emissions. China’s agricultural development faces various risk pressures, such as farmland degradation, biological disasters, water and soil resource constraints, agricultural pollution, food safety, and ‘ Double carbon ’ Target pressure, agricultural green transformation is imperative but very difficult. It is necessary to give priority to the development of green agriculture in the transformation and upgrading of agricultural modernization, increase institutional innovation and policy innovation in agricultural green development, form a green agricultural technology support system and policy guarantee system with China characteristics, and make every effort to build a new modern agricultural development pattern with carbon reduction, foreign exchange increase, green, high quality and increased production. " Zhang Fusuo said.