Plowing Ahead -- Beijing Review

Sannong is a term often used in China today to collectively refer to agriculture, farmers and rural areas. As a traditionally agrarian state with an extra-large percentage of rural population, issues related to Sannong are deemed of vital importance to China's economic prosperity and social stability

Modernizing Agriculture

The goal of rural work in 2013 is to ensure food safety and supply of important farm produce, and increase farmers' income. Grain output is expected to stay above 525 million tons and farmers' income is to grow by more than 7.5 percent

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Integrating the Central Plains
In a bid to further develop the country's interior, the government is pushing for a new economic zone

Super Farmer
A Chinese farmer uses economies of scale to increase agricultural productivity

Feeding a Populous Country
A shortage of labor and land holds back Chinese agriculture

Go to the Fields
China finds ways and difficulties in spreading new farming techniques in rural areas

Driving Farming With Technology
China needs a stronger agriculture science and technology sector to ensure its grain security

Father of Hybrid Rice Plants Corn
New joint venture strengthens China's position against international seed companies

Background

Co-ops Boost Rural Economies

- A law governing rural cooperatives was implemented on July 1, 2007, with the purpose of protecting the legal rights of rural cooperatives and their members and promoting the development of agriculture and rural economy.

- Currently, there are over 600,000 legally registered rural cooperatives. More than 43 million families have joined cooperatives, accounting for 17.2 percent of rural families, and those who do enjoy incomes 20 percent higher than those who do not.

- An additional 28,000 miscellaneous rural economic organizations provide services to 110 million rural families and form the main body of agricultural production. Revenues of leading rural companies now hit 5.7 trillion yuan ($916 billion), producing one-third of agricultural products in the Chinese market.

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