Zhang Jingjing: Focus on Policy Directions is Needed to Develop New Quality Productive Forces in Agriculture
In contrast to traditional agricultural productive forces, agricultural new quality productive forces rely on modern science and technology, innovative factors, and new forms of production organization. Taking digitalization, intelligence, greening, and integration as their developmental direction, these forces aim to improve the efficiency, quality, and benefits of agricultural production while promoting a new form of productive forces for sustainable agricultural development. They encompass multiple facets, including agricultural scientific and technological innovation, the upgrading of agricultural industries, innovation in agricultural management systems, and agricultural ecological construction, serving as the core driving force for promoting high-quality development in agriculture.
Developing Agricultural New Quality Productive Forces According to Local Conditions
China's territory is vast, with significant differences across regions in terms of natural conditions, resource endowments, economic development levels, and cultural customs. Developing agricultural new quality productive forces according to local conditions [1] means fully recognizing and respecting these regional differences. The principle of respecting regional differences is the foundation for formulating an effective system of institutions and policies; it helps avoid "one-size-fits-all" [2] policies and ensures that agricultural development better aligns with the actual conditions of each locality. To this end, equal emphasis must be placed on the efficient utilization of resources and ecological protection. Resource conditions vary by region; some areas are rich in water but limited in land, while others possess vast tracts of land but face water shortages. The construction of an institutional and policy system tailored to local conditions should focus on guiding regions to develop agricultural production methods compatible with their resource advantages to achieve efficient resource utilization. At the same time, ecological protection must be integrated into policy considerations. For example, in the ecologically fragile western regions, characteristic agriculture and animal husbandry—such as ecological livestock farming and the forest understory economy [3]—should be moderately developed under the prerequisite of ecological protection, thereby achieving a virtuous cycle between agricultural development and ecological preservation.
One of the core objectives of developing agricultural new quality productive forces according to local conditions is to promote the formation of agricultural industries with regional characteristics. By tapping into unique local agricultural and cultural resources, cultivating and developing characteristic agricultural varieties, and building regional agricultural brands, the market competitiveness and value-added potential of agricultural products can be enhanced. For instance, Yunnan utilizes its unique climate and geography to develop a characteristic flower industry and plateau-based agricultural products; Xinjiang relies on its advantages of intense sunlight and high temperature differentials to vigorously develop cotton cultivation and characteristic fruit industries. Institutional and policy systems should center on how to drive the formation, development, and expansion of these characteristic industries, including providing support for variety selection, the promotion of cultivation and breeding techniques, the extension of industrial chains, and brand building.
Sustainable agricultural development is the ultimate goal of developing agricultural new quality productive forces according to local conditions. This means meeting the current generation's demand for agricultural products while ensuring the capacity to avoid damaging the living environment of future generations. The institutional and policy system should encourage and guide localities to adopt sustainable production methods—such as water-saving irrigation, soil testing and formula fertilization [4], and green prevention and control of pests and diseases—to reduce the negative environmental impact of agricultural production. At the same time, through policy measures supporting the development and utilization of renewable energy in rural areas and the resource-based utilization of agricultural waste, a virtuous cycle in the agricultural ecosystem can be achieved, ensuring the long-term stable development of agriculture.
Grasping the Key Directions for the Construction of Institutional and Policy Systems
Precise agricultural development plans should be formulated based on the functional positioning, resource endowment, and development stage of agriculture in different regions. Starting from reality and demand, the country is divided into different agricultural development zones, such as major grain-producing areas, advantageous areas for characteristic agricultural products, and urban agricultural zones. Corresponding classified guidance policies should be issued according to the characteristics and development tasks of each zone. For example, for major grain-producing areas, the focus should be on supporting the construction of high-standard farmland, the breeding and promotion of improved grain varieties, and grain storage and processing. For advantageous areas for characteristic agricultural products, policy support should be increased for the protection and development of characteristic varieties, R&D and promotion of characteristic agricultural technologies, and the registration and protection of geographical indications for agricultural products. Such precise planning and classified guidance policies allow localities to clarify their own development directions and avoid blind development.
Differential support policies for agricultural technological innovation should be formulated in combination with the actual needs of agricultural production in various places. Regarding investment in agricultural R&D, localities are encouraged to carry out targeted scientific research breakthroughs centered on the development of characteristic industries. For instance, coastal areas with developed fisheries should be supported in R&D for marine fishery resource protection and sustainable utilization technologies; mountainous agricultural areas should see increased support for the R&D and promotion of mountain-specific agricultural machinery. A grassroots agricultural technology promotion system should be established, employing diverse promotion methods—such as sending "science and technology commissioners" [5] to the countryside, field schools, and distance training—based on the local capacity for absorption and actual needs, thereby improving the conversion rate and application effect of agricultural scientific achievements. Simultaneously, enterprises should be supported in cooperating with research institutions to establish agricultural technology demonstration bases and innovation platforms across the country, accelerating the "rooting" of technological achievements.
In terms of fiscal subsidies, special subsidies should be provided for the construction of cultivation and breeding bases for characteristic products, the purchase of equipment by processing enterprises, and the promotion of agricultural brands. Regarding tax incentives, tax reductions or preferential policies should be granted for a specific period to new types of agricultural business entities, such as enterprises and cooperatives engaged in characteristic production and processing. In terms of financial support, financial institutions should be guided to develop products and service models suited for the development of characteristic agricultural industries, such as intellectual property pledge loans and supply chain finance, to provide funding guarantees. Furthermore, sales platforms should be built and market channels widened for characteristic products through various agricultural trade fairs and expos.
Regarding infrastructure construction, farmland water conservancy, transportation, and storage/logistics facilities should be rationally planned and laid out according to the production needs and geographical conditions of different regions. For example, in water-rich areas, the construction of irrigation and drainage facilities should be strengthened; in mountainous and remote areas, investment in the construction and renovation of rural roads should be increased to improve transportation conditions. Regarding public service provision, the allocation of education, medical, and cultural resources should be optimized based on the scale and distribution of the rural population. In densely populated rural areas, standardized schools and hospitals should be built; in remote rural areas, basic public services should be guaranteed through increased infrastructure investment and the implementation of distance education and telemedicine.
In the realm of scientific research, investment and support should be increased, with a focus on key fields. A reward system for scientific and technological innovation should be vigorously implemented, granting significant awards to research teams and individuals who make outstanding contributions to the development of agricultural new quality productive forces. At the same time, the rapid conversion of scientific achievements must be promoted by establishing technology trading markets and conversion service platforms to facilitate connections between research institutions, enterprises, and farmers. In terms of talent cultivation, the specialty settings of higher agricultural education should be optimized, adjusting curriculum systems according to the needs of agricultural new quality productive forces. Enrollment in emerging specialties such as smart agriculture, agricultural biotechnology, and agricultural big data analysis should be expanded, while new technologies and concepts should be integrated into traditional agricultural majors. Secondary agricultural vocational education should be strengthened to train skilled personnel who adapt to the needs of agricultural modernization, and a long-term mechanism for farmer education and training should be established using modern information technology to enrich training methods.
In conclusion, improving the institutional and policy system for agricultural new quality productive forces is of paramount significance for the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. It is believed that with the support of continuously improving institutions and policies, agricultural new quality productive forces will provide even stronger momentum for the in-depth implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, pushing the modernization of agriculture and rural areas to a new level.