China Daily:

Agriculture is fundamentally based on land. Could you please tell us what new requirements this year's "No. 1 central document" has put forward regarding the protection and development of farmland? Thank you.

Han Wenxiu:

Farmland is the backbone of food production, and there can be no food security without secure farmland. Over the past two years, various regions have implemented stringent measures to enforce farmland protection systems, yielding positive results. According to statistics, China's total farmland area has witnessed a net increase for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023. This year's "No. 1 central document" emphasizes improving the comprehensive system for protecting farmland quantity, quality, and ecology. Efforts will be focused on three main areas to ensure the amount of farmland is guaranteed and its quality is improved.

First, the total amount of farmland must be strictly maintained. The red line of 1.8 billion mu (120 million hectares) of farmland must not be crossed. The latest round of national land space planning has specified the protection tasks for 1.865 billion mu of farmland and 1.546 billion mu of permanent basic farmland, with responsibilities allocated to each region. The document sets clear requirements for implementing these tasks. For the lawful occupation of farmland, the focus is on reforming and improving the balance system of occupation and compensation, adhering to the principle of "compensation determines occupation," strengthening the quality acceptance system for compensated farmland and preventing situations where more land is occupied than compensated or higher-quality land is replaced with lower-quality land. For illegal acts such as unauthorized occupation or destruction of farmland, including the unauthorized construction of "greenhouses," destruction of black soil, and illegal soil extraction, a zero-tolerance policy must be maintained, with resolute rectification and severe punishments enforced, investigating and addressing every case that is discovered. Regarding the issue of converting farmland to non-grain uses, it requires a careful balancing act. It is crucial to consider the relationship between grain production, the security of important agricultural products, and farmers' income, and to clearly define the scope of rectification, arrange restoration schedules reasonably, and carry out the rectification and restoration of illegally occupied farmland in a classified and steady manner. The implementation of central policies must be strictly followed, with attention paid to the methods used for implementation, avoiding oversimplification or one-size-fits-all approaches.

Second, farmland quality must be improved. The "No. 1 central document" emphasizes the construction of high-standard farmland to enhance farmland quality. It prioritizes transforming farmland in the northeast black soil region, plains regions, and areas with water irrigation conditions into high-standard farmland, ensuring that limited funds are used effectively. In response to widespread concerns about low investment standards for high-standard farmland construction, a firm commitment has been made to raise central and provincial investment subsidies this year. Additionally, quality supervision will be strengthened to ensure that every plot of land transformed into high-standard farmland meets the rigorous standards set forth. Rural collective economic organizations, new agricultural business entities, and farmers are encouraged to participate directly in constructing and maintaining high-standard farmland.

Third, we must tap into the potential of reserved farmland resources. The focus is on two types of land: abandoned land and saline-alkali land. For abandoned land, regions are encouraged to utilize it according to local conditions, planting grain where suitable or engaging in other economic activities where appropriate. In cases where genuine challenges prevent cultivation, rural collective economic organizations are supported in effectively using it through various means such as land transfer, trusteeship, and unified management. Saline-alkali land, which is abundant in our country, holds immense development potential with technological advancements. The approach combines "suitable land for crops" and "suitable crops for land," matching seeds with saline-alkali land to carry out zonal and classified management and improvement of saline-alkali farmland, and exploring effective ways to comprehensively utilize saline-alkali land. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Han Wenxiu and Mr. Zhu Weidong, and thank you to all the journalists. This concludes today's press conference. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Xu Xiaoxuan, Wang Qian, Liu Sitong, Ma Yujia, Cui Can, Zhang Junmian, Li Xiao, Zhou Jing, Liu Jianing, Wang Wei, Xiang Bin, Yan Bin, Huang Shan, Gong Yingchun, Yang Xi, Li Huiru, Zhang Rui, Yuan Fang, Wang Yiming, Rochelle Beiersdorfer, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.