Minister: China advances agri-tech as food supply remains strong

China made notable progress in agricultural modernization during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Jun said on Monday.

Speaking at the second Ministers' Corridor interview on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, Han said China's agricultural technology and equipment have improved significantly.

The contribution rate of agricultural science and technology has exceeded 64%, the coverage rate of improved crop varieties has surpassed 96%, and the comprehensive mechanization rate for crop cultivation, planting and harvesting has reached 76.7%. The entire production process of major grain crops has now achieved full mechanization.

China is also accelerating the intelligent and digital transformation of agriculture, with a variety of smart equipment playing an increasingly important role in farming.

Last year, more than 300,000 drones were used in agricultural production in China – the highest number in the world – serving farmland covering 460 million mu (about 30.7 million hectares). Smart harvesting robots, intelligent irrigation robots and AI-powered laser weeding robots have also been used in agricultural production, Han said.

Since the launch of a national seed industry revitalization initiative in 2021, China has strengthened domestic breeding capacity. A number of high-yield, high-quality and resilient varieties have been developed.

China's supply of major agricultural products continues to improve. Last year, grain output reached 714.9 million tonnes, marking the second straight year above 700 million tonnes, with per capita availability exceeding 500 kilograms, higher than the global average.

Supplies of meat, eggs, dairy, aquatic products, fruits and vegetables remain ample. Meat output surpassed 100 million tonnes for the first time, while aquatic product output reached 76.57 million tonnes. Egg production reached 34.98 million tonnes, or 25.4 kilograms per person, exceeding levels in developed countries. Vegetable production exceeded 800 million tonnes and fruit output topped 360 million tonnes, both ranking among the highest in the world.

Han also noted that China has also established a nationwide monitoring and assistance system to prevent people from falling back into poverty. Using shared data and big data tools, the system identifies households at risk more precisely, enabling earlier intervention and targeted support, he said.