China’s Ministry of Agriculture held a press conference during the first session of the 13th National People’s Congress in Beijing.

Agriculture Minister Han Changfu, and Pan Xianzheng, spokesperson for the ministry, talked about the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy and the promotion of agricultural transformation and upgrade.

China has begun conducting intensive surveys and studies into hundreds of villages across the nation to learn about and observe the current state of development so as to better draw out a blueprint for revitalizing rural areas through restructuring industries, better allocation of land resources, infrastructure, and enhancing public services, said Han during the conference.

He reiterated the goals as stated in the No. 1 Central Document published earlier this year, known as the roadmap for rural vitalization, which aims to make agriculture an industry bringing rewards and huge potential; to remove the low social status commonly associated with being a farmer in China, remaking the title into a coveted and selective profession; and to transform villages into a picturesque countryside that urban dwellers will yearn  for.  

As the nation commits to quality-driven growth over the next 10 years, the shift in agriculture is beginning to manifest, in line with the vision to transform to a consumption, services and innovation driven economy. An across-the-board upgrade in agriculture and farming will take shape over the coming years, as the industry witnesses an upgrade in quality food and organic produce; an uptick in margins and efficient use of land, labor and resources; and a strong force of trained professional farmers leading a shift into industrialized farming on reasonably large scales.

In the process, he acknowledged that grain production in certain low-yield areas will be pared down, as there are already much excess inventory in corn and rice crops, but that does not mean that China will drop grain farming once and for all－food safety is still a key issue, even as the nation rolls back on production volumes.

The world’s largest rising middle class has already spurred a substantial change in economic structure, with consumption contributing to 59% of the economy. As income continues to expand, the industry must also restructure to meet the evolving tastes and demands of the consumer, especially demands for meat, poultry, milk and edible fungi.