Challenges for grain production
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China's grain production has met its annual target for the sixth year in a row. But senior agriculture officials say many challenges remain, including establishing a disaster relief system and improving rural infrastructure.
Reaching agricultural production targets doesn't necessarily mean a grain surplus. Senior agriculture officials say the country consumes as much grain as it produces.
Wei Chaoan, Vice Minister of Agriculture, said, "Last year, we produced 530 billion kilograms of grain, meeting growth targets for the sixth year in a row. But this year we consumed 525 billion tons of grain. That means we just narrowly managed to have a grain surplus."
The vice minister said the demand for wheat and rice is growing at a rate of 4 to 5 billion kilos per year.
He also pointed out that the country needs to achieve sustainable growth, meaning it must form a better system to respond to disasters and mitigate its damage. Wei also stressed the importance of improving rural infrastructure, to ensure the country can be self-sufficient in grain production.
Wei said, "Self-sufficiency means we can satisfy 95 percent of domestic demand. So, keeping grain yields at above 500 billion kilos is the bottom line."
Adding to the challenges is China's shrinking areas of arable land. Rapid urbanization means more land is being used for real estate development. Agricultural officials said there will be stricter regulations to protect arable land in rural areas.
Q1: Arable efficiency VS Real estate development
A senior agriculture official says China has reached grain production targets for the sixth year in a row. But he also mentioned a looming danger, the amount of the country's arable land is shrinking, due to real estate expansion. How should China tackle this problem?
Q2: Boosting efficiency and productivity
Dr. Gao, you lived in the United States and travelled around the world. What should China learn from developed countries in terms of industrializing and improving the efficiency of agricultural production?
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