2016年CRI Supply-side Reform Highlighted in China's Rural and Agricultural Development

 

Chen Xiwen, deputy head of China's Central Rural Work Leading Group, explained that the supply side reform is aimed at making products meet market demand.

"We continue to import grain from foreign countries, which implies there must be some problems with our supply system. To make our products meet market demand and set reasonable prices for them, we should make the agricultural sector¹ adjust to the new normal of economic development, accelerate rural reform and optimize² the overall industrial structure of agriculture."

He also suggested that the country should take a wider view of the productive capacity of the agricultural sector.

"Imbalance now exists between the supply and demand of major agricultural products of China and the problems mainly exist on the supply side. We can't say whether agricultural development is successful simply by judging from the quantity of production. We should also take into account whether the products can fit the market in terms of quantity, variety as well as quality. This is very important."

According to the policy paper released on Wednesday, total grain output in 2015 increased 2.4 percent year on year to around 621 million tons, the 12th straight year of growth.

However, some produce like corn saw supply gluts³, while others like soybeans are in short supply.

Li Guoxiang, a researcher with the rural development institute at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that the agricultural sector should be regulated in accordance with market mechanisms⁵.

"While playing down the risk of food shortages, the policy paper also stresses the importance of supplying agricultural products of good quality. All in all, to reform the sector is the core of this policy document; that is to say, farmers should plant what consumers demand."

Wednesday's document has pledged to create at least 53 million hectares of high-quality farmland by 2020, and encouraged enterprises to "go overseas" to balance exports and imports.

It also sets targets of increasing woodland coverage⁶ to above 23 percent by 2020, and wetland acreage above 500 thousand square kilometers.

New national standards on food safety will be prioritized and standards on pesticides⁷ residues⁸ and veterinary drugs will reach international standards by 2020.

Li Guoxiang notes that both governmental supervision⁹ and the market play important roles in achieving that goal.

"Under the market mechanism⁴, products planted with a strict use of pesticides and chemical fertilizer would be priced higher, and by strengthening supervision, any violations¹⁰ in the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizer should be severely¹¹ punished and those involved held responsible."

This is the 13th consecutive¹² year that the document has focused on the issues concerning agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, highlighting the strategic importance of these sectors¹³.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.

1 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

2 optimize   

v.使优化 [=optimise]

参考例句：

• We should optimize the composition of the Standing Committees.优化人大常委会组成人员的结构。
• We should optimize our import mix and focus on bringing in advanced technology and key equipment.优化进口结构，着重引进先进技术和关键设备。

3 gluts   

n.供过于求( glut的名词复数 )；过量供应；放纵；尽量v.吃得过多( glut的第三人称单数 )；（对胃口、欲望等）纵情满足；使厌腻；塞满

参考例句：

• As a result there are localised gluts. 因此出现了供过于求的现象。 来自互联网
• Asia is a land of saving gluts flip side to US and European deficits. 亚洲是一个储蓄过剩之地，与美国和欧洲的储蓄不足刚好相反。 来自互联网

4 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

5 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

7 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 residues   

n.剩余，余渣( residue的名词复数 )；剩余财产；剩数

参考例句：

• pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables 残留在水果和蔬菜中的杀虫剂
• All organic and metallic residues on the wafers must be removed. 片子上所有的有机和金属残留物均必须清除。 来自辞典例句

9 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

10 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

11 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

12 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

13 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》