Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Finance – Notice on Effectively Carrying Out the 2016 Pilot Program for Comprehensive Socialized Agricultural Production Services

On May 24, the Ministry of Agriculture, in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance, issued the “Notice on Carrying Out the 2016 Pilot Program for Comprehensive Socialized Services in Agricultural Production.” The notice specifies the scope of the pilot program, which will be implemented in 17 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government—namely Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Chongqing, and Sichuan (hereinafter referred to as the pilot provinces). While ensuring the continuity of the pilot policies, the notice further designates ten of these pilot provinces—Hebei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, and Sichuan—to conduct a pilot project on the comprehensive utilization of livestock and poultry manure.

The pilot program will adopt approaches such as government procurement of socialized services or government support for agricultural producers to purchase these services, with a focus on providing comprehensive socialized services across the entire production chain for major agricultural products—including grain, cotton, oilseeds, and sugar—and on the integrated utilization of livestock and poultry manure. Each province is required to ensure a degree of continuity and concentration in the allocation of pilot funds, with each pilot county receiving no less than RMB 10 million in principle. The livestock and poultry manure pilot will primarily support the exploration of effective models for developing an end-to-end industrial chain encompassing the efficient storage, collection, transportation, treatment, and comprehensive utilization of such waste. When selecting pilot counties, provinces should adhere to the following principles: First, the region should possess distinct advantages in developing full‑chain socialized services for agricultural production, facilitating coordinated implementation at the township level or even broader regional scales; for the integrated utilization of livestock and poultry manure, pilot projects should be advanced on a county‑wide basis. Second, the relevant industries should have a solid foundation, with well‑established operating mechanisms and mature technological pathways, thereby fostering the development of complete industrial chains; counties undertaking the integrated utilization of livestock and poultry manure should prioritize large-scale breeding counties that can effectively align supporting fiscal, land‑use, and financial policies. Third, local governments and relevant departments should demonstrate strong commitment, and farmers should exhibit a robust willingness to adopt socialized services. Provinces launching the integrated utilization of livestock and poultry manure pilot should select at least two pilot counties. All submissions must be filed with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture by July 15, 2016.