National Business Daily:

In 2023, Anhui initiated its implementation of the "100-billion-jin granary in the Yangtze-Huai River region" project, and its grain output hit record high. In the future, what arrangements and plans will Anhui take to ensure national food security? Thank you.

Wang Qingxian:

I would like to invite Ms. Chen to answer this question.

Chen Jun:

Anhui is a major grain-producing province. Last year, our total grain production exceeded 83 billion jin (41.5 billion kg), achieving 20 consecutive years of bumper harvests. With only 4.3% of the country's arable land, Anhui produces 6% of the national grain output. Anhui is also one of five provinces in China that has a net grain surplus, with an annual net surplus of about 20 billion jin of high-quality grain. It can be said that ensuring national food security is an obligation and an undeniable responsibility for Anhui. We not only strive to make contributions in terms of quantity but also aim to make breakthroughs in terms of quality.

On the one hand, we aim to increase the quantity of high-quality Anhui grain to secure China's food supply. Focusing on food security, which is considered as one of the country's most fundamental interests, Anhui province set a goal last year of building a "100-billion-jin granary in the Yangtze-Huai River region." This means that Anhui's grain production capacity will stabilize at over 100 billion jin by 2035. Centering on expanding grain production and improving grain quality, we have emphasized two crucial aspects: cropland and seeds. Major supporting projects such as high-standard cropland development and the revitalization of the seed industry have been implemented. Currently, we have developed 62.56 million mu of high-standard cropland, accounting for 75% of the total arable land area. The export volume of rice seeds has ranked first in the country for five consecutive years. We will work to gradually develop all permanent basic cropland into high-standard cropland and strengthen the seed industry as the core of agriculture. By turning every inch of cropland into fertile soil for bountiful harvests and increasing grain production, we aim to make significant contributions in Anhui province to safeguarding food security.

On the other hand, we strive to support the development of green agricultural products. Anhui is a key source of agricultural products for the Yangtze River Delta region, supplying half of the region's grain and meat, one-third of its fruits, and one-fifth of its vegetables. In the past two years, Anhui's specialty agricultural products, including foie gras, Mengcheng cattle, Dangshan pears, and Huaining blueberries, have gone viral online and gained market popularity. This has added significant value to the agricultural sector and brought wealth to farmers. Over the past five years, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in Anhui has grown annually by 0.4 percentage point higher than the national average. We will step up efforts to develop a high-quality and competitive agricultural sector and build Anhui into an agricultural powerhouse. We will deeply promote the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, strengthen agricultural support through science, technology, and equipment, and vigorously develop intelligent and protected agriculture. We will establish a batch of production, processing and supply bases of green agricultural products for the Yangtze River Delta region and make solid progress in developing the whole industrial chain of grain, incorporating animal husbandry and meat processing, as well as integrating agriculture and industry, to expand income sources for farmers. We will empower enthusiastic new farmers in regions between the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River, improving their income levels and living standards.