Editor's note: China will hold its annual Two Sessions in early March. Ahead of this year's key political meetings, CGTN presents a special series that takes an in-depth look at the country's endeavors in promoting people's livelihood, economic development, sci-tech innovation and opening up.

China has pledged to continue enhancing the country's ability to ensure the supply of important agricultural products such as grains, and increase production capacity to ensure stable and abundant grain production and supply.

In the newly-released "No. 1 central document" for 2025 – the first policy statement released by China's central authorities this year – the country outlined priorities to deepen rural reforms, calling for efforts to enhance agricultural efficiency, safeguard grain security, and improve agricultural product quality and safety supervision.

In 2024, China continued to consolidate the work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers, achieved stable and increased grain production and stable supply of important agricultural products, setting an example for the world in achieving food self-sufficiency.

A bumper harvest

Enhancing China's capacity to ensure the supply of key agricultural products, such as grain, was prioritized in this year's policy document.

Despite the impact of several natural disasters, including high temperatures, droughts, extreme floods, and super typhoons, the country's total grain output exceeded 706 million tonnes in 2024, an increase of 1.6 percent over the previous year, setting a new record, according to China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The bumper harvest was accompanied by a rise in grain planting areas, which reached over 119 million hectares, up 0.3 percent year on year. Additionally, grain output per unit area expanded by 1.3 percent, the data showed.

The rural residents' per capita disposable income reached 23,119 yuan (about $3,186), marking a year-on-year increase of 6.3 percent.

The expansion of soybean and oilseed cultivation has been effectively consolidated, with soybean output reaching 20.65 million tonnes, further improving the country's self-sufficiency rate for edible vegetable oils.

The comprehensive mechanization rate of crop cultivation and harvesting has exceeded 75 percent, with China having completed its annual tasks of constructing, renovating, and upgrading high-standard farmland, which plays a crucial role in drought and flood prevention across various regions.

By the end of 2024, China had built more than 1 billion mu (around 66.7 million hectares) of high-standard farmland and more than 10 million kilometers of various field irrigation and drainage channels.

Consolidating, expanding poverty alleviation achievements

In recent years, China has continued to consolidate and expand its achievements in poverty alleviation.

By identifying 160 major counties for national rural revitalization assistance, China allocated over 177 billion yuan in subsidies to support their development in 2024.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, along with other relevant departments, has increased efforts in areas such as technical and talent support, technical services and the training of industry leaders to promote the continued development and growth of the assistance industry.

All 832 counties removed from the poverty list have developed two or three leading industries, with a combined output value exceeding 1.7 trillion yuan.

In the first three quarters of 2024, the farmers' per capita disposable income in delisted counties reached 12,384 yuan, up 6.5 percent compared to the same period last year.

Work-relief programs aimed at boosting employment have also been implemented this year. By the end of last year, more than 33.05 million previously impoverished workers had found jobs, with the number consistently exceeding 30 million for four consecutive years.

Efforts to consolidate and expand poverty alleviation achievements are also evident in rural construction and improving people's livelihoods.

Thanks to the joint efforts of all parties, the level of rural water supply security and health services in key assisted counties has steadily improved. In 2023, rural tap water coverage in 83 counties exceeded the national average, and 67 county-level hospitals met the recommended standards for service capabilities.