Under the newly passed governmental institutional reform plan, China will replace its Ministry of Agriculture with a new Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Our reporter, Wang Hui, spoke to some NPC deputies from rural areas, to get their views on the restructuring.  

With the fresh reform of governmental institutions, the new Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will inherit the responsibilities of the current Ministry of Agriculture, and absorb some programs from four other ministries. They include programs in agricultural investment, comprehensive agricultural development, farmland regulation, and irrigation and water conservancy. The reform will also see the Ministry of Transport take on the current Ministry of Agriculture's duties of fishing vessel inspection, supervision and management.

An NPC deputy believes this integration will make the government's work more efficient.

ZHANG DONGHE, GENERAL SECRETARY DAJIDIAN VILLAGE PARTY BRANCH, BAODING CITY, HEBEI PROVINCE "The reform will consolidate the resources from different ministries, so the duties of taking care of this field are concentrated. In order to deal with one issue, in the past, we may have had to go to multiple ministries, but now, as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urged in his work report, we only need to go to one ministry and finish everything all at once."

The reform of the current Ministry of Agriculture aims to better fit the requirements of today.

WANG HUI BEIJING "During the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which was held in October last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged a rural revitalization strategy. He reiterated that issues relating to agriculture, rural areas, and the people there, are fundamental to the nation, as they directly concern the country's stability and the people's wellbeing. To address these issues, the Party must prioritize the development of agriculture and rural areas."

NPC Deputy, Dr. Zhou Songbo, who has been a doctor in rural areas for more than 30 years, believes the creation of the new ministry responds to the shift in China's policy.

ZHOU SONGBO, DOCTOR DIAOSI VILLAGE, ZHUOZHOU CITY, HEBEI PROVINCE "The Ministry of Agriculture used to focus on grain production. But the problem of grain supply has basically been resolved. The key focus of work now is the rural revitalization strategy. It emphasizes developing economic industries in rural areas, which will help poverty alleviation and enhance farmers' income. As the emphasis of the work has been shifted, the new ministry is no longer only about agriculture, but adds 'rural affairs' to its name."

Wang Hui, CGTN, Beijing.