Original title: The foundation of food security is solid
This year, my country’s grain production has increased again at a high level, the “granary of a big country” has become more abundant, and the “rice bags” of the people have become more abundant. Facing the turbulent international environment and the arduous and arduous tasks of domestic reform, development and stability, my country has comprehensively strengthened the construction of grain production, storage, and distribution capabilities, and accelerated the construction of a new era of grain security system. The overall situation has solidified the foundation.
Continuous improvement of production capacity
Yongfeng Village, Taihe Town, Dongpo District, Meishan City, Sichuan Province is a well-known grain-growing village. This year, it overcame the adverse effects of high temperature and drought and achieved another bumper harvest. Li Xiangde, chairman of Meishan Haoweidao Rice Professional Cooperative, told reporters that this year the cooperative has planted more than 80,000 mu of land, spanning multiple counties and cities, and will continue to expand the area of grain sown next year.
This year, my country’s total grain output is 1,373.06 billion catties, an increase of 7.36 billion catties or 0.5% over the previous year. This is the result of the joint efforts of the central government, local governments and hundreds of millions of farmers. This year, our country will continue to implement the strategy of storing grain on the ground and storing grain on technology, and continue to promote the construction of high-standard farmland. A total of 1 billion mu of high-standard farmland will be built to ensure high and stable production. Improve the income guarantee mechanism for farmers who grow grain and the compensation mechanism for the interests of main production areas, fully mobilize the “two enthusiasms” of farmers to grow grain and the local, especially the main production areas, to grasp the grain, and ensure the area of main production areas, main sales areas and production and sales balance areas. output, and continuously improve the comprehensive grain production capacity.
However, it is becoming more and more difficult to increase my country’s grain production. Only when there is a major improvement or breakthrough in the comprehensive grain production capacity can grain production reach a new level. After the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to “tamp the foundation of food security in an all-round way”, this year’s Central Economic Work Conference proposed to “implement a new round of action to increase grain production capacity of 100 billion catties”.
Huang Hanquan, director of the Price and Cost Investigation Center of the National Development and Reform Commission, believes that improving the comprehensive grain production capacity is fundamental to ensuring national food security. Since the implementation of the “National Plan for Adding 100 Billion Catties of Grain Production Capacity (2009-2020)” in 2009, the comprehensive grain production capacity has continuously increased to 1.1 trillion catties, 1.2 trillion catties, and 1.3 trillion catties. However, the potential of grain production capacity formed in the previous round of planning has been fully released. It is necessary to implement a new round of 100 billion jin grain production capacity improvement actions to mobilize and attract various resource elements and increase investment in grain production.
The market supply is stable and sufficient
Under the normal conditions of epidemic prevention and control, my country has effectively guaranteed the stable supply of the domestic grain market through comprehensive measures and precise regulation. The relevant person in charge of the State Grain and Material Reserve Bureau stated that the foundation of my country’s grain production has been continuously consolidated, and the grain circulation has remained efficient and smooth. We are fully confident and capable of ensuring the supply of grain and oil to the masses.
From the perspective of domestic supply, this year’s high grain production has laid the foundation for a stable grain supply. In terms of varieties, this year’s wheat output was 136 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 0.6%. Due to the sharp drop in wheat feed use, the production and demand situation has returned to a slightly more balanced perennial level. The output of paddy was 416.99 billion jin, although it dropped by 2%, but the output was greater than the demand for many years in a row, and the supply was very sufficient. The output of corn was 554.41 billion catties, an increase of 1.7% over the previous year. Due to my country’s strict control of the processing of fuel ethanol using corn as raw material, the tension between supply and demand of corn has eased.
On the basis of ensuring food security at home, my country moderately imports some grains to adjust the surplus and shortage. According to data from the General Administration of Customs, my country imported 133.169 million tons of grain in the first 11 months, a year-on-year decrease of 11.8%; imported 80.526 million tons of soybeans, a year-on-year decrease of 8.1%. From a structural point of view, my country’s grain imports are dominated by feed materials such as soybeans, corn and substitute barley. “my country should continue to enhance the management capabilities of the global food supply chain and build a diversified import pattern.” Huang Hanquan said.
Saving food loss is equivalent to increasing the effective supply of food. Since the beginning of this year, my country has fully implemented the “Action Plan for Grain Conservation” and comprehensively promoted the reduction of food loss in the entire grain chain. Positive results have been achieved in food production, storage, processing, consumption and other links. Support and guide farmers to store grain scientifically. According to expert estimates, the loss of grain storage by farmers who use equipment correctly has dropped from an average of 8% to less than 2%; the comprehensive loss rate of grain storage in state-owned grain reserve warehouses has dropped to less than 1%.
Enhanced ability to deal with risks
Faced with the severe challenges brought about by frequent insecurity incidents in the food field, my country’s food emergency security system has been initially formed and has withstood the tests of epidemic prevention and control and disaster response. The relevant person in charge of the National Grain and Material Reserve Bureau stated that it is necessary to make up for shortcomings, strengths and weaknesses, consolidate the base, and promote advantages, speed up the establishment of a national food emergency security system that is consistent with the status of a major country, and effectively enhance the ability to prevent and resolve major risks.
At present, the epidemic situation in Beijing is complicated, but the market supply of daily necessities such as grain, oil, meat, eggs, and vegetables is stable and in good order. This is because Beijing has continuously strengthened the construction of the food emergency supply security system in recent years. The “1-hour life security circle” along the Beijing Sixth Ring Road, the “3-hour emergency security circle” along the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and the “6-hour emergency response circle” along the Bohai Sea The food security guarantee circle in the capital city of Dao has been basically formed, which can effectively meet the food consumption needs of the whole city.
In recent years, my country’s food emergency support capabilities have continued to improve. According to statistics, as of the end of 2021, there are 6,000 emergency grain processing enterprises, 52,983 emergency supply outlets, 4,199 emergency storage and transportation enterprises, and 3,047 emergency grain distribution centers across the country, reaching the highest level in history. In terms of emergency distribution capabilities, promote the full coverage of prefecture-level cities for food emergency distribution centers, and gradually form a “National Grain 135 Emergency Support Circle” consisting of “1 hour” in urban areas, “3 hours” in surrounding cities, and “5 hours” in urban agglomerations .
Sufficient reserves are the “voltage regulator” to deal with various risks and challenges. In recent years, my country’s grain and oil reserves have been continuously enriched, the regional layout and variety structure have been continuously optimized, the proportion of rations has remained at a high level, and the material foundation for ensuring supply and price stability is solid. At the same time, the guarantee level of finished grain has been continuously improved. At present, the guarantee capacity of finished grain and oil stocks in the main urban areas of 36 large and medium-sized cities and areas where the market is prone to fluctuations is more than 15 days. “Recently, we have put forward new requirements for finished grain and oil reserves in large and medium-sized cities, especially small-package finished grain and oil reserves, and all localities are actively implementing them.” The person in charge of the State Grain and Material Reserve Bureau said.