Xinhua Net: The Forum on Agricultural Supply-Side Structural Reform and Development Held in Beijing

Original article link ： http://news.xinhuanet.com/food/2016-05/20/c_129001289.htm       

On May 20, the “New Three Rural Issues: New Business Forms” — Forum on Agricultural Supply-Side Reform and Development, together with the launch event for Xinhuanet’s Three Rural Issues Channel, was held at Xinhuanet’s headquarters. The forum aimed to integrate the academic perspectives and recommendations of leading experts, scholars, and business representatives, in order to identify cutting-edge ideas and strategies for accelerating agricultural supply-side reform.

　　Song Hongyuan, Director of the Rural Economy Research Center of the Ministry of Agriculture; Xie Yang, Inspector and Researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council, and Vice President of the China Urban–Suburban Economic Research Association; Xu Mingwei, Assistant President of Xinhuanet; Ma Xuewen, Chairman of Shandong Agricultural University Fertilizer Technology Co., Ltd.; Zhu Kunjin, General Manager of Taizhou Jidao Food Co., Ltd.; Wang Yanfeng, Assistant General Manager of Hubei Xinyangfeng Fertilizer Co., Ltd.; along with representatives of several agricultural producers, attended the forum.

　　For a long time, in pursuit of sustained increases in agricultural output—particularly grain—China’s agricultural policies and resource allocations have been heavily concentrated on the production stage, while insufficient investment has been directed toward pre- and post-production phases. As a result, weak linkages among the various segments of the agricultural value chain—research, production, processing, and distribution—have led to limited synergies and poor alignment between supply and demand. Consequently, some agricultural products have faced oversupply relative to market demand; government spending on maintaining inventories of these commodities has become excessively burdensome; the agro-processing sector has failed to fully serve as a guiding force for agricultural structural adjustment; and the existing product mix has struggled to meet the growing, diversified, and multi‑tiered consumption needs of both urban and rural residents. The implementation of supply-side reform in agriculture aims to address overcapacity, excess inventory, excessive leverage, high costs, and structural weaknesses, with a focus on enhancing the quality and efficiency of the agricultural supply system, boosting total factor productivity, and strengthening innovation capacity across the agri‑industrial sector.

　　At this forum, the panelists engaged in an in-depth and detailed discussion on how, against the backdrop of the current agricultural supply-side reform, tools such as “Internet Plus” and scientific and technological advancements can be leveraged to drive industrial innovation and upgrading, enhance enterprise productivity, and boost farmers’ incomes.

　　Some enterprises and agricultural producers also actively joined the discussion, exchanging views on issues such as the healthy and rapid development of businesses and the restructuring of agricultural cropping patterns, creating a highly spirited atmosphere.

　　At the forum, the launch ceremony of Xinhuanet’s “Three Rural Issues” channel was also held. Anchored on the authoritative platform of a national news agency, the channel promptly reports on developments in agricultural progress, offers professional and in-depth analyses of relevant policies, and provides precise assessments of future directions for agriculture. With the core mission of “advancing agricultural development and serving the ‘three rural’ issues,” it aims to build a comprehensive agricultural service platform that is the most information‑rich, the most authoritative in content, and the most credible—showcasing the new face of rural areas, highlighting exemplary new farmers, and fostering the modernization of agriculture.

　　The launch ceremony for the “Nongda Fertilizer Cup” National Grain King Competition was also held that day. The competition is guided by the National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center and co-organized by Xinhuanet’s Rural Affairs Channel and Shandong Nongda Fertilizer Technology Co., Ltd. Xu Mingwei, Assistant President of Xinhuanet; Ma Xuewen, Chairman of Shandong Nongda Fertilizer Technology Co., Ltd.; Yang Fan, Deputy Director of the Soil and Fertilizer Division of the National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center; and Ye Zhaoming, General Manager of Siweidao International Culture & Media (Beijing) Co., Ltd., jointly pressed the launch button, officially marking the commencement of the “Nongda Fertilizer Cup” National Grain King Competition.

　　The “Nongda Fertilizer Cup” National Grain King Competition is held to align with the agricultural supply-side reform and the restructuring of crop‑production patterns, to boost farmers’ enthusiasm for grain cultivation, and to foster a societal climate that places great value on food production. It is a large‑scale, carefully designed series of events aimed at enhancing agricultural efficiency, increasing farmers’ incomes, and promoting green agriculture. The competition seeks to provide an even stronger platform for farmers to leverage science and technology, improve productivity, and achieve higher yields, thereby establishing itself as a hub for advancing grain production, transforming yield‑enhancing practices, fostering innovation and building reserves in high‑yield, stable‑production technologies, and demonstrating and disseminating new technologies and breakthroughs.