China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has unveiled ambitious new guidelines, charting a course for agricultural technology innovation over the next five years. The document, released recently, identifies 10 critical areas where technological advancements will be prioritized from 2024 to 2028. These areas include breeding new crop varieties, enhancing arable land quality, fostering green and low-carbon agriculture, and driving rural development.
The guidelines emphasize the importance of rapid soil testing technologies to support smart agriculture. This includes the development of a digital soil information system, a multidimensional soil monitoring network, and platforms for farmland evaluation and early warning. These technologies are expected to revolutionize how farmers manage their land, enabling more precise and efficient agricultural practices.
Innovation in green and low-carbon agriculture is another key focus. The guidelines highlight the need to control agricultural non-point source pollution, advance climate-adaptive farming, and promote ecological circular agriculture. This approach aims to minimize the environmental impact of farming while enhancing sustainability.
Zhang Xingwang, vice-minister of agriculture and rural affairs, highlighted China’s significant progress in agricultural science and technology. At a January news conference, he noted that the contribution rate of agricultural science and technology progress has surpassed 63 percent, placing China at the global forefront. This achievement underscores the country’s commitment to leveraging technology to enhance food security and agricultural sustainability.
To improve farmland quality and safeguard food security, the guidelines emphasize building a robust technology system for farmland conservation and restoring degraded land, including black soil and saline-alkali land. In 2024, over 400 million mu (26.67 million hectares) of black soil was restored, and a nationwide ‘physical examination’ of soil was conducted, with 3.11 million samples collected from 2.87 million sites. These efforts are crucial for maintaining the productivity and health of China’s agricultural lands.
Chen Bangxun, director of the ministry’s development and planning department, outlined plans to strengthen the protection and use of arable land and water resources. The ministry will promote clean agricultural production, launch pilot projects in green and circular farming, and integrate ecological practices into agricultural industries. These initiatives are designed to create a more sustainable and resilient agricultural sector.
The guidelines also call for technology-driven solutions to improve rural living conditions, develop sustainable rural industries, and enhance rural governance. Modern agricultural and rural development models will be tailored to regional economic conditions, ensuring that solutions are relevant and effective across different parts of the country. Key digital technologies will be developed to improve rural governance, expand healthcare access, and extend agricultural industrial chains. The integration and sharing of information and data will be promoted to accelerate rural digital transformation.
Zhang emphasized that the key to agricultural modernization lies in the modernization of agricultural science and technology. He stated that the next steps involve enhancing the agricultural science and technology innovation system, nurturing leading and fast-growing agricultural technology enterprises, accelerating the application of scientific achievements, and providing strong technological support for building a strong agricultural nation. These efforts are expected to drive significant advancements in China’s agricultural sector, ensuring food security and sustainability for future generations.
