How to revitalize the countryside in the new era
Core reading
The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China put forward that "implementing the strategy of rural revitalization", "giving priority to the development of agriculture and rural areas" and "establishing and improving the system, mechanism and policy system of urban-rural integration development, and accelerating the modernization of agriculture and rural areas".
How to interpret the new formulation of rural revitalization strategy? What is the significance of "extending the second round of land contract for another 30 years after its expiration"? How to awaken the sleeping assets in rural areas? This newspaper interviewed relevant people in this regard.
How to give priority to agricultural and rural development?
Realize the goal of "three noes, two zeros and one complete" and optimize the main function and spatial layout of agriculture.
Agriculture and rural areas are the shortcomings of building a well-off society in an all-round way, and giving priority to the development of agriculture and rural areas is becoming more and more urgent in the new era. Song Hongyuan, director of the Rural Economic Research Center of the Ministry of Agriculture, said that it is necessary to be soberly aware that the current extensive management mode of agriculture relying on resource consumption has not fundamentally changed, the trend of environmental pollution and ecological degradation has not been effectively curbed, and the supply of green and high-quality agricultural products and ecological products cannot meet the growing needs of the people.
Giving priority to development, the green development of agriculture is the cornerstone, and it is necessary to intensify efforts to achieve the overall goal of "three noes, two zeros and one complete" green development. Specifically, the number of cultivated land is not reduced, the quality of cultivated land is not reduced, groundwater is not over-exploited, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is zero, and agricultural wastes such as straw, livestock manure and agricultural film are fully utilized. At the same time, from the aspects of resource utilization, production environment, ecosystem and green supply, according to the requirements of the central government, the overall goal of agricultural green development is refined into specific goals by 2020 and long-term goals by 2030.
Giving priority to development, overall planning is the guarantee, and it is necessary to realize the scientific and reasonable function and spatial layout of agriculture. Zheng Fengtian, deputy dean of the School of Agriculture and Rural Development of Renmin University of China, said that the system of agricultural functional zones should be implemented around solving the structural contradiction of resource mismatch and supply dislocation, and the systems of agricultural productivity distribution, agricultural resources and environmental protection and utilization control, agricultural green recycling and low-carbon production, and agricultural green development mechanism in poverty-stricken areas should be established.
To give priority to development, we need to take multiple measures and promote it in coordination. Song Hongyuan said that in terms of resource protection and economical utilization, the system of farmland rotation and fallow, saving efficient agricultural water and so on should be established, and the protection and utilization system of agricultural biological resources should be improved. In terms of environmental protection and governance of producing areas, we should closely follow the problem of resource utilization of agricultural inputs and agricultural wastes, establish a prevention and control mechanism for the transfer of industrial urban pollution to agriculture, improve the system of reducing the use of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, improve the resource utilization system of straw and livestock manure, and establish a recycling system for waste plastic films and packaging wastes. In restoring agricultural ecosystems, we will promote grassland ecological protection and restoration, and strengthen aquatic ecological protection and restoration, forestry and wetland conservation.
How to improve the rural basic management system?
The second round of land contract will be extended for another 30 years after its expiration.
The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that the rural basic management system should be consolidated and improved, the rural land system reform should be deepened, and the "three powers" separation system of contracted land should be improved. Keep the land contract relationship stable and unchanged for a long time, and extend it for another 30 years after the second round of land contracting expires.
Zeng Yesong, an expert on "agriculture, countryside and farmers" in the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, pointed out that this not only provides a more effective and powerful institutional guarantee for farmers’ land contractual management rights, but also makes the usufructuary right nature of land contractual management rights more full and perfect by improving the land contractual management rights, laying an institutional foundation for agricultural development, rural prosperity and farmers’ income increase.
Stabilizing rural land in contract relationship is the institutional basis for the reform of "three powers" separation of rural contracted land established by the CPC Central Committee. The implementation of farmers’ contracted management rights to land plots will make farmers’ contracted land ownership more clear, farmers will be more practical in transferring contracted land, and their interest expectations will be more clear, so that farmers can transfer with confidence and stability.
Consolidating and perfecting the rural basic management system is the cornerstone of building a modern agricultural industrial system. Zhang Hongyu, director of the Department of Economics and Management of the Ministry of Agriculture, said that by consolidating and improving the basic rural management system, we can continuously promote the innovation of agricultural management system, continuously expand new rural management entities, and accelerate the realization of "two changes" in agricultural management methods, that is, family management will change to adopt advanced technology and means of production, increase investment in production factors such as technology and capital, and strive to improve the level of intensification; Unified management has changed to the direction of developing farmers’ union and cooperation and forming a diversified, multi-level and multi-form management service system.
Zeng Yesong believes that at present, it is necessary to strengthen the collective economy, enhance the service function of collective organizations, cultivate new cooperative organizations of farmers, develop various agricultural socialized service organizations, and encourage leading enterprises to establish a close interest linkage mechanism with farmers. Fully respect the wishes of farmers, and introduce the management of small farmers into the track of large-scale and intensive development of modern agriculture.
How to deepen the reform of rural collective property rights system?
Clear ownership, complete power, smooth circulation and strict protection.
The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that we should deepen the reform of rural collective property rights system, safeguard farmers’ property rights and interests, and expand the collective economy.
At present, the total amount of rural collective assets is huge. The total book assets of rural collective economic organizations in China (excluding Tibet) are 2.86 trillion yuan, with an average of 4.936 million yuan per village. The reform of rural collective property rights system involves the vital interests of farmers, and the situation is very complicated. The reform should grasp the principles and strive for progress while maintaining stability. At present, 100 counties across the country have tried the reform of rural collective property rights system first.
According to the Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Steadily Promoting the Reform of Rural Collective Property Rights System, the goal of the reform is to gradually build a rural collective property rights system in Socialism with Chinese characteristics with clear ownership, complete power, smooth circulation and strict protection.
To achieve this reform goal, we need to develop a new rural collective economy. At present, about 40% of villages in China have established rural collective economic organizations, and about 60% of villages are represented by villagers’ committees. Song Hongyuan analyzed that, from a practical point of view, establishing and improving rural collective economic organizations is the direction. What is new in this new collective economy is not the traditional collective economy of "one big business and two big businesses", but the joint-stock cooperative economy with clear boundaries of collective members and clear collective property rights relations.
We need a new operating mechanism of rural collective economy that meets the requirements of market economy. Song Hongyuan said that the new mechanism of economic operation lies in adhering to market orientation, giving rural collective economic organizations a dominant position in the market, revitalizing collective assets and innovating the management and protection mechanism of collective assets operation. It is necessary to fully stimulate the vitality of agricultural production factors. Awakening the sleeping assets in rural areas can effectively promote modern agriculture and new rural construction and effectively increase farmers’ income. At present, among the disposable income of farmers, wage income accounts for 49.5%, family business income accounts for 35.9%, transfer income accounts for 11.0%, and property income accounts for 3.6%.
It is necessary to form a governance system to effectively safeguard the rights of members of rural collective economic organizations. Zheng Fengtian said that it is necessary to implement farmers’ land contracting rights, homestead use rights, collective income distribution rights and democratic management rights of collective economic activities, and form a governance system to effectively safeguard the rights of members of rural collective economic organizations.
The task of the reform of rural collective property rights system has been made clear. It is necessary to give farmers the right to choose, and farmers should choose instead of replacing them, and do it according to their wishes. The whole reform should reflect farmers’ participation and benefits.
Zhang Hongyu stressed that for resource assets such as land, we should continue to do a good job in the registration and certification of land ownership in accordance with the existing arrangements of the central authorities, improve the "three powers" separation system, and keep the existing land contract relationship stable and unchanged for a long time. At the same time, for non-operating assets, including collectively owned office buildings, health centers, primary schools, etc., it is mainly to explore the establishment of a collective unified operation and management mechanism to provide public welfare services for collective members, and it is not appropriate to engage in share conversion. Operating assets are the focus of this round of reform, and efforts should be made to promote the confirmation of assets to households and develop various forms of joint-stock cooperation.