Never let grain farmers suffer losses

It is necessary to do everything possible to change the mode of agricultural development, improve the comprehensive grain production capacity, and protect farmers' enthusiasm for growing grain.

At a time when farmers were enjoying a bumper harvest of autumn grain, they suddenly encountered relatively severe fluctuations in grain prices. Agricultural dispatch shows that domestic grain prices are basically stable, but corn prices in grain markets in Northeast China and the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain have dropped by 20%, and in some parts of the south, corn prices have dropped by 30%. Moreover, the decline in corn prices has a crowding-out effect on the prices of rice and wheat.

Grain prices fluctuate sharply and the reasons are complicated. Generally speaking, it is caused by the "simultaneous increase" of grain production, inventory and import in China, and by the fact that the international grain price is lower than the domestic price. Domestic grain prices are higher than foreign grain prices, there are many factors: first, the competitiveness of China's agriculture itself is insufficient; second, some protection policies make grain prices continue to rise; third, international grain prices are falling; in addition, changes in freight prices and exchange rate changes have led to the continuous reduction of external grain prices, aggravating the upside-down trend of grain prices at home and abroad.

To deal with grain price fluctuations rationally, we must first do everything possible to protect the interests of farmers and never let grain farmers suffer losses. In order to ensure farmers' grain income, in view of the changes in the grain price situation, the National Development and Reform Commission, the State Grain Administration, the Ministry of Finance and the Agricultural Development Bank of China recently issued the notice on the acquisition of temporary Storage Corn in Northeast China in 2015, announcing that the purchase price of national temporary storage corn in 2015 (GB third-class quality standard) is 1 yuan per jin. The price difference between adjacent grades is controlled at 0.02 yuan per jin.

Many hands make light work. Due to the limited conditions for farmers to store grain, in the current situation of downward grain prices, all parties should participate in the purchase of grain in the hands of farmers. In addition to state acquisitions, some qualified rural specialized cooperatives, grain enterprises, and some rural brokerage enterprises should take active action to purchase the grain in the hands of farmers, so as to prevent due to insufficient storage conditions, the remaining grain in the hands of farmers sprout or mildew, resulting in additional losses. In order to do a good job in the purchase of autumn grain, it is necessary to strictly investigate "beating white slips" and depressing grades and prices, so as to prevent "difficulties in selling grain."

To deal with the fluctuation of grain price rationally, we should not only take into account the reasonable income of farmers, but also make the formation of grain price more market-oriented. At present, the domestic grain price, no matter the temporary storage price or the market price, is still higher than the international grain price. It is an important opportunity to seize this opportunity to promote grain price reform according to the situation, and finally form a situation of separation of "price compensation".

According to the top-level design of grain price reform, it is necessary to separate grain market prices from grain subsidies to farmers in the future. If the market price is too low, the government should adopt appropriate policies to directly subsidize farmers, but separate from the price. After separating the price from the subsidy, the market can be activated, the farmers sell grain at the market price, and the operators receive the grain at the market price, thus invigorating the grain market.

To deal with grain price fluctuations rationally, we should do everything possible to protect the enthusiasm of grain farmers. The proposal of the CPC Central Committee on the formulation of the 13th five-year Plan for National Economic and Social Development emphasizes once again that we should increase grain production capacity and ensure basic self-sufficiency in grain and the absolute safety of food rations. In a country with a large population like ours, the rice bowl must be firmly in our own hands, and this is the basic experience of governing the country that suits our national conditions. Yes, relying on international supply can solve some problems in the short term, but not in the long run. Once the international grain harvest fails, when we need to import grain, it will be "heaven should not".

Only by doing everything possible to protect farmers' enthusiasm for growing grain and make them willing to grow grain can we consolidate the foundation of food security. At the same time, we should try every possible means to change the mode of agricultural development, improve the comprehensive production capacity of grain, and promote agricultural development from quantitative growth to equal emphasis on quantity and quality, so as to store grain in the land, technology, and the rest of the world.