Against the background of global grain production decline, why can China achieve a bumper autumn grain harvest?

Opening words: The key year is full of foot
.
Since the beginning of this year, party committees and governments at all levels have gone all out to coordinate epidemic prevention and control and agricultural production, effectively respond to the impact of serious natural disasters, grain production has been stable and improving, and soybean oil seed expansion has achieved obvious
results.
On the basis of the harvest of summer grain and early rice, autumn grain is expected to reap another bumper harvest, providing strong support
for securing China's rice bowl and stabilizing the economic fundamentals.
From now on, this newspaper will launch a special column entitled "Five Questions on the Harvest of Autumn Grain" to explore how the bumper harvest of
autumn grain was achieved from multiple perspectives.

In autumn and October, the joy of a bountiful harvest fills the north and south
of the river.
In Henan, the granary of the Central Plains, Li Xiaodong, a major grain farmer in Duqu Town, Linying County, Luohe City, was happy to blossom in his heart, and his 800 mu of soybean and corn ribbon compound planting field not only did not reduce corn yield, but also collected about 100 kg more soybeans, and his income increased by more than 400,000 yuan
.
In Guizhou, where "the land is not three feet flat," this year the corn planting area has been expanded by 2.
852 million mu, the planting density has been increased, drought-tolerant varieties and high-yield cultivation technologies of rice have been popularized, and corn and rice production have resisted the impact of
drought.

Looking back on the whole year, the harvest was not easy
.
The frequent occurrence of natural disasters around the world, coupled with the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the Ukraine crisis and other factors, has reduced global food production
as a whole.
In our country, autumn grain also faces many difficulties, but we have always regarded grain production as the primary task of the three rural areas, put it in a prominent position, overcome unfavorable factors such as the spread of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the rare autumn flood in the north, the severe high temperature and drought in the south, and the rise in agricultural material prices, go all out to fight disasters and win a bumper harvest, pay close attention to key links, implement various tasks in detail, and exert efforts in the same direction of various forces to spell out a bumper harvest year
.

This bumper harvest benefited from the unity of the whole country to shoulder the heavy responsibility of food security, demonstrating the determination to build a solid foundation for food security in all aspects, and strengthening Chinese confidence in firmly holding the rice bowl in their own hands
.

China's grain harvest is expected to be bumper again due to the severe global grain situation

In the summer of 2022, days of drought and scorching heat waves caused Europe to suffer its worst drought in 500 years, and a common hydrological landmark in Central Europe, the Hunger Stone
, was restored.
Its appearance indicates that the drought has seriously threatened the crop harvest this year, and Europe will face food shortages and high
food prices.
On August 22, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre released a report showing that drought could reduce the production of many crops in Europe this year, resulting in a 16% reduction in corn production and a 15% drop in soybean production this year compared with the previous five-year
average.

India, one of the world's major grain producing regions, is facing a reduction in rice production
due to drought in many places.
In September, India's grain officials said the drought in India this year reached 2.
5 million hectares, reducing food production by about 7 million to 8 million tons
.
It is expected that the area under rice cultivation may be further reduced
by this winter.
India's Ministry of Finance also issued an announcement that it will impose a 20% export tax on rice except parboiled rice and basmati rice, and ban the export of broken rice to ease price volatility
caused by reduced food production.

In North America, record-breaking heat and drought occurred in many places, seriously affecting food production
.
The American Agricultural Federation judged that U.
S.
crop yields could decline by 1/3
compared to last year.
Corn, which is also the main crop in the United States, will also see its production decline
.

On the one hand, food conditions are threatened by disasters; On the other hand, the Ukraine crisis continues to affect global food markets
.

The FAO Global Report on Food Crises 2022 and the October issue of the Cereal Supply and Demand Brief show that unprecedented food crises are spreading
around the world due to climate shocks, regional conflicts, the coronavirus pandemic, and more.
Among them, data show that the forecast for cereal production in 2022 will be lowered again to 2.
768 billion tons, down 1.
7%
year-on-year.

Almost at the same time, it is the key period for the formation of China's autumn grain production, the southern region suffers from continuous high temperature and little rain, the average temperature of the country is the highest in the same period in history since 1961, and some areas in the north have more rain, which poses a threat
to grain production.
Fortunately, the determination to protect autumn grain production has not weakened, and all localities have actively responded and strengthened guidance, formulated and improved response plans and technical opinions in subregions and different types of disasters, and provided precise and meticulous guidance, so that autumn grain is expected to reap another bumper harvest
.

With food in hand, there is no panic
in the heart.
China uses less than 10 per cent of the world's arable land, produces nearly 25 per cent of the world's food and feeds nearly 20 per cent of the world's population
.
1.
4 billion people is not a small number, arable land resources are relatively tight, but China has been able to achieve food self-sufficiency, which is a great miracle
created by the Chinese Communist Party leading Chinese people.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly issued important instructions to emphasize that it is necessary to optimize the layout, stabilize rations, stabilize corn, expand soybeans, and expand oilseeds, ensure that the annual output of grain is maintained at more than 1.
3 trillion jin, and ensure that the rice bowl of Chinese is mainly filled with Chinese grain
.

Food is stable and the world is safe
.
At present, the global new crown pneumonia epidemic is still continuing, and various uncertain and unstable factors still exist, so it is particularly important to
strengthen food security and stabilize agricultural fundamentals.
We are moving towards the second centenary goal, and the food issue is related to whether China can achieve rural revitalization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and it is of great
significance to build a solid "ballast stone" for food security.

The party and government are equally responsible for grasping the policy of solid production and benefiting farmers

The bumper harvest of autumn grain again reflects the outstanding contributions
made by party committees and governments at all levels to ensuring national food security.
All localities have firmly shouldered the political responsibility for food security, and the main production areas, main sales areas, and production and marketing balance areas have served the rice bowl and shouldered
the responsibilities together.
We should strictly implement the party and government responsibilities for food security, adopt effective measures, come up with real money and silver policies, and vigorously grasp grain production, so that the sown area of grain has been restored and increased, and the yield level has been raised
.

The governor of the "rice bag" is responsible, and the secretary is also responsible
.
This year is the second year in which the party and the government have the same responsibility for food security, and all localities have made undiminished efforts, grasping the production of regional lading, accelerating grain production, and steadily improving grain supply capacity
.

In the face of the new crown pneumonia epidemic and continuous heavy rainfall, Jilin City, Jilin Province, shouldering the political responsibility for food security, played a set of effective "combination punches", and went all out to promote grain production, and this year's grain output is expected to hit a record high
.
As soon as possible, the task of sowing 10,137,900 mu of grain for the whole year and the sown area target of 456,000 mu of soybeans should be broken down to 12 counties (cities) and development zones, and implemented in townships, villages, and specific plots
.
According to the agricultural situation dispatch, the city has completed the sowing area of grain crops of 10.
58 million mu, an increase of nearly 450,000 mu
over the planned tasks.

From cities and counties to villages, and from the area to specific plots, it is more necessary to mobilize and protect the enthusiasm of farmers and production and management entities, and stabilize farmers' expectations of
planting income.
In 2022, the central government will comprehensively implement a package of policy measures such as subsidies, incentives and finance, and the food production support policy will continue to improve
.
At the end of August, the central government released 10 billion yuan of funds to once again issue one-off subsidies to farmers who actually grow grain, coordinate support for autumn harvest and autumn planting, alleviate the impact of the increase in grain expenditure caused by the rise in agricultural input prices, and further mobilize farmers' enthusiasm for growing grain.
In order to cope with the impact of drought in the Sichuan Basin and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River on people's livelihood and agricultural production since July, the Ministry of Finance actively worked with the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to study and urgently arrange 10 billion yuan of funds for agricultural production and water conservancy disaster relief through the central reserve fee on 26 August to support all localities in fighting drought and providing disaster relief, preventing and stabilizing the production of autumn grain, and ensuring the safety of drinking water for the masses
.

At the same time, subsidies for the protection of cultivated land capacity support the protection of cultivated land capacity and the operation of grain on a moderate scale, subsidies for the purchase of agricultural machinery are tilted towards grain crops, agricultural insurance policies have covered grain varieties such as corn, rice, and wheat, and incentive policies for large grain-producing counties have improved the comprehensive production capacity of grain, mobilizing peasants' enthusiasm for growing grain and the government to grasp grain.
.
.
These favorable policies have sent a strong signal
of heavy agriculture and grasping grain.

Driven by the central government's policies, various localities have also introduced policies
with high gold content to support farmers and benefit farmers.
The policy has played an irreplaceable role
in the many benefits and the intensity of the policy.

Zhejiang has initially established a policy system
to support grain and oil production, including cultivated land capacity protection, large-scale grain subsidies, minimum purchase prices, order purchase incentives, loan interest discounts and policy insurance.
The provincial finance subsidizes 120 yuan per mu for growers with a scale of more than 50 mu, and rewards 30 yuan, 30 yuan and 20 yuan
per 100 jin of wheat, early rice and late rice purchased by order.
At the same time, a dynamic adjustment mechanism for provincial-level grain subsidies has been established, and this year a subsidy of 22 yuan per mu is based on the cost of grain planting; The minimum purchase price of rice will be increased by 4 yuan per 100 jin on the basis of the national purchase price; Implement the whole cost insurance of rice, and increase the degree of protection from 1,000 yuan per mu to 1,400 yuan
.

Hainan has increased subsidies for grain planting, arranged matching funds of 22 million yuan on the basis of the central arable land capacity subsidy funds, and provided a one-time subsidy
of no more than 200 yuan per mu to large households with a rice planting area of more than 50 mu.
Actively respond to the rise in agricultural materials, arrange 107.
9 million yuan, a one-time subsidy of 30 yuan per mu for rice planting, and a one-time subsidy of 100 yuan
per mu for soybean planting.

All localities have compacted responsibilities, formulated precise and effective policies, actively promoted agricultural production, and driven farmers' enthusiasm for production, and many major producing areas have shown a trend of increasing production, providing basic support
for stabilizing the overall economic market and effectively coping with risks and challenges.

We will not relax in disaster prevention and mitigation, and form a joint force to meet challenges

In mid-August, autumn grain production has entered a critical period of yield formation, and before harvest, it will also encounter drought, typhoons, frost damage, pests and diseases
.
Autumn grain is not in hand for a day, and the field management cannot be relaxed
for a day.
To this end, agricultural and rural departments at all levels accurately assess risks and challenges, and take targeted measures
in advance.
Respond to the uncertainty
of disasters based on the certainty of disaster prevention and mitigation.

Disaster prevention and mitigation focus on prevention
.
Keeping a close eye on possible disasters, all localities have strengthened meticulous guidance and strived to transform "a bumper harvest in the field" into a "bumper harvest
.
" Summer is a period of frequent recurrence of meteorological disasters and crop diseases and pests, and preventing disasters and controlling insects is the key to
a bumper harvest.
In the face of the frequent occurrence of extreme weather and the aggravation of major diseases and pests, all provinces and cities will take precautions, prevention and control work in the forefront, formulate detailed plans in advance, and prepare disaster resistance and relief materials
as soon as possible.
Prepare sufficient medicines, equipment and medicines, organize professional and unified prevention and control, and resolutely curb the spread of
pest outbreaks.

Jiangsu is the province with the highest rice yield in China, and after the summer harvest, preparations for drought resistance began, and the province invested huge efforts to transfer water and fight drought
through multi-department linkage.
In view of the possible continuous rainfall in early October, Shanxi made early preparations for disaster prevention and relief and implemented various preventive measures
.
Guide low-lying plots prone to flooding to rush to harvest mature crops, and do a good job in dredging the drainage channels of immature crop plots
.

Disaster reduction is to increase production, and it can make up for one point
.
If there is little rainfall, all conditions will be created to expand irrigation and divert water; If there is too much precipitation, efforts will be concentrated on removing stagnant water and replanting suitable crops
in the affected plots.
As well as the implementation of key measures such as "one spray and multiple promotions" in the later stage, all of which have made up for some losses
to a certain extent.

In response to the high temperature in the south and flooding in some areas, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs continued to carry out the sinking front-line package contact service, and sent 25 provincial package contact working groups, 10 expert groups and 12 science and technology teams to provide guidance
.
Give full play to the role of expert guidance groups and science and technology teams, categorize and guide the implementation of key measures, support and ensure autumn grain production, help agricultural and rural disaster prevention and mitigation, and win the battle for the defense of
autumn grain harvests.

Drawing on the experience and practices of the summer harvest, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs formulated a work plan to deal with the impact of the epidemic as soon as possible, gave full play to the role of hotlines, and strived to open the blocking points in time to ensure the unimpeded
flow of autumn harvest machinery and operation service personnel.

Everyone thinks in one place and works hard to reduce the impact of
disasters.
Qijiang District of Chongqing actively deployed harvesters to rush harvests in low-altitude rice and corn ripening areas; For areas that have not been harvested and the disaster is light, drought-resistant agents are purchased and distributed to key areas and key varieties, and farmers are guided to scientifically adopt measures such as covering moisture protection and "one spray and more promotion" to help reduce crop losses
.
The Hemuzhicang Farmers' Cooperative in Tongzi County, Guizhou, has set up a 158-member professional service team and formed eight drought-fighting teams with town and village cadres to provide irrigation services for more than 15,000 mu of corn, uniformly harvest and sell 1,500 tons of fresh corn, and reduce the economic losses of
farmers.

To be able to more effectively achieve disaster resistance and ensure a bumper harvest, the support of scientific and technological strength is indispensable
.
Today, the contribution rate of agricultural scientific and technological progress exceeds 61%.

In recent years, we have vigorously developed new varieties and technologies, developed crop varieties that are resistant to high temperature, drought and flood, and resistant to diseases and pests, and basically achieved full coverage of
improved seeds of major food crops.
Vigorously promoting green prevention and control and unified prevention and rule not only ensures the quality and safety of agricultural products, but also realizes "insects seizing food"
.
Agricultural machinery and equipment have been continuously transformed and upgraded, and the comprehensive mechanization rate of cultivation and harvest of major grain crops has exceeded 80%, which has improved the efficiency
of disaster resistance and relief in the process of disaster resistance and relief.

Thanks to the construction of high-standard farmland, many areas have reduced the "pressure"
of disaster resistance.
It is not difficult to find that China's continuous development and construction of high-standard farmland has played a vital role
in resisting and coping with extreme weather.
By the end of this year, the country will have built a total of 1 billion mu of high-standard farmland for drought and flood harvests, and they will further play a positive role in ensuring food security
.

From "a bumper harvest in sight" to "a bumper harvest", relying not on one's own strength, but on the joint efforts
of various departments.
In response to various major disasters and minor disasters, following the principle of "sesame watermelons cannot be lost", all departments actively cooperate and connect, strengthen communication and consultation at critical moments, make preparations, and formulate and improve response plans
.

The division of labor and cooperation also has its own focus and expertise
.
Supply and marketing cooperatives at all levels focus on local agricultural production, organize agricultural material enterprises, grassroots communities, agricultural service centers, etc.
in the system, and provide autumn harvest services for the majority of farmers and various new business entities; Give play to the role of the main channel for the circulation of agricultural materials at critical moments to ensure that they can be supplied and supplied well
at critical moments.
In order to ensure the irrigation of autumn grain crops, the water conservancy department has implemented precise policies, increased its full power, and made every effort to do a good job in
drought resistance.
Meteorological departments should strengthen meteorological services for key agricultural seasons, important agricultural activities and the prevention of major agrometeorological disasters, implement artificial rain enhancement operations in the face of high temperature and heat waves, alleviate drought conditions in a timely manner, and enhance agriculture's ability to
resist risks.

Spring and autumn, the grain is full
.
This year, in the face of various risks and challenges, we have continuously strengthened food security, and all departments and regions have gone all out to grasp the production of autumn grain, firmly holding China's rice bowl in their own hands
.

(Yang Mengfan)