Great promise in agricultural and rural investment construction (policy interpretation)
Recently, seven departments including the Central Agriculture Office and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs have jointly issued the "Opinions on Expanding Effective Agricultural and Rural Investment and Accelerating the Compensation of Outstanding Shortcomings in the "Three Rural" Areas" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"). Why should we expand effective investment in agriculture and rural areas? Which key areas need to be made up for shortcomings? What are the supporting policies? The reporter interviewed relevant officials and experts from the Central Agriculture Office and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
●Guide the flow of resource elements to agriculture and rural areas
Affected by various factors such as changes in the macro environment, the growth rate of fixed asset investment in the primary industry has declined year by year since 2015. Especially since last year, there has been a negative growth for eight consecutive months, and the annual growth rate is significantly lower than that of the secondary and tertiary industries. This year, the sudden new crown pneumonia epidemic has caused a great impact on agricultural and rural investment. In the first quarter, fixed asset investment in the primary industry fell by 13.8%, of which private investment, which accounted for the largest proportion, fell by 16.9% year-on-year. Although the subsequent decline has gradually narrowed, The downward trend has not been fundamentally curbed.
"To make up for the outstanding shortcomings in the "three rural" areas of a comprehensive well-off society, to overcome the adverse effects of the epidemic, to ensure food security and the supply of important non-staple foods, and to stabilize the basic agricultural market, it is necessary to effectively expand the effective investment in agriculture and rural areas." The relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs emphasized.
The "Opinions" proposed that the implementation of a rural revitalization strategy based on benchmarks, based on the current and long-term perspective, focused on strengthening agricultural and rural infrastructure and building disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities, and implementing a group of modern agricultural and rural areas that are highly traction and conducive to the "double upgrade" of production and consumption. Major engineering projects, do everything possible to expand the effective investment scale of agriculture and rural areas.
"Compared with the three-stage goal of China's future development, the current agricultural and rural development lags behind industry and cities, and we must catch up from this lagging starting point. The overall economic development concept includes the distribution of public resources and the deployment of leadership. We must truly give priority to the development of agriculture and rural areas," said Ye Xingqing, director of the Rural Economic Research Department of the Development Research Center of the State Council. The "Opinions" is precisely through innovating systems and mechanisms, guiding the flow of resource elements to agriculture and rural areas, promoting an excellent agricultural structure, increasing stamina, and providing solid support for maintaining economic development and social stability.
●Aim at highlighting shortcomings and speed up the construction of major engineering projects in 11 areas
According to the implementation of the strategy of building a well-off society in an all-round way and revitalizing the countryside, my country’s agricultural and rural construction still has obvious weaknesses. For example, the basic support for agricultural production is not strong. There are still 400 million mu of low-yield fields, accounting for 22% of the cultivated land area; the conversion rate of agricultural products processing is not high, and the ratio of agricultural product processing industry to agricultural output value is only 2.3:1. Storage, drying, fresh-keeping, packaging and other facilities are obviously inadequate, and the post-production loss rate of fruits and vegetables is as high as 20%; the construction of rural public infrastructure is relatively weak, 82.6% of village domestic sewage has not been centralized treatment, and more than 30% of rural households are not popularized Sanitary toilets.
This also means that there is great potential for agricultural and rural investment and construction. The "Opinions" emphasized the need to accelerate high-standard farmland, agricultural products storage and preservation cold chain logistics facilities, modern agricultural parks, animal and plant protection, coastal modern fishing ports, rural human settlements, rural water supply guarantee, township sewage treatment, smart agriculture and digital villages , Rural roads, rural power grids and other major agricultural and rural projects.
"The implementation of these projects is conducive to improving the stable production and supply of important agricultural products such as grain and live pigs, as well as the ability to resist and reduce disasters, promote the transformation of agriculture to intensive, efficient, green and safe direction, promote sustainable agricultural development, and help reduce the gap in the basic living conditions of urban and rural residents. At the same time, it will also promote the development of agricultural and rural informatization, intelligence, and integration, empower agriculture and rural areas, improve modern production levels, and form more new growth points and growth poles." The Central Agricultural Office and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs are concerned. The person in charge said that at present and for a period of time in the future, to expand effective investment in agriculture and rural areas, it is necessary to plan major engineering projects in these major areas, invest in real money, and work on the ground.
●The central and local finances strengthen the investment guarantee for "agriculture, countryside and farmers"
The "Opinions" require that the investment mechanism be improved, investment channels are broadened, investment environment optimized, and the formation of a diversified investment pattern featuring fiscal priority, financial focus, and active participation by the society will be accelerated. Related policies and measures have been put forward in terms of agricultural investment and enhancing investor confidence.
Expand the scale of local government bonds used in agriculture and rural areas. This year, the central government has substantially increased the issuance of local government bonds, and clearly supported the construction of modern agricultural facilities, drinking water safety projects, and the improvement of human settlements. In the first half of the year, 27 provinces including Anhui, Sichuan and Jiangxi issued 86.5 billion yuan of special bonds for agriculture and rural areas.
Ensure financial investment in supporting agriculture. In recent years, the central government's expenditure on agriculture, forestry and water has increased steadily. The "Opinions" further emphasized that the central and local finances should strengthen the protection of investment in "agriculture, rural areas and farmers," and that investment within the central budget will continue to focus on major projects to make up for the shortcomings of agriculture, rural areas and farmers, and increase the proportion of land transfer revenues used in agriculture and rural areas. Relief for work scale.
Private capital accounts for about 80% of fixed asset investment in the primary industry throughout the year, and it is the main force of agricultural and rural investment. How to boost the confidence of private capital to invest in agriculture and rural areas?
Ye Xingqing said that the "Opinions" call for greater financial services for "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers", promptly introduce inclusive finance policies and measures to support the development of new agricultural business entities, innovate financial products and services, and fully implement greenhouses, large agricultural machinery, and land management rights mortgages. Financing etc.