Stabilize grain production and increase grain income

The executive meeting of the State Council held on the 11th pointed out that China's grain production has increased year after year, and another bumper harvest this year has effectively supported economic and social development and the improvement of people's livelihood, but there are also problems such as a substantial increase in stocks and a decline in prices. More measures should be taken to effectively protect the interests of farmers and their enthusiasm for growing grain.

Analysts believe that the measures to stabilize grain income determined by the meeting are very timely, which is conducive to ensuring national food security and safeguarding the vital interests of food and agriculture.

"it is possible for China's grain production to achieve 'twelve consecutive harvests' this year, but the great pressure on stocks and the decline in grain prices have become a 'bumper harvest trouble'. If measures to stabilize grain income are not introduced in time, with the large-scale entry of autumn grain into the market, grain farmers may face the problem of 'difficult to sell grain'. " Said Li Guoxiang, a researcher at the Rural Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The reporter learned that in recent years, under the influence of the market downturn, the demand of grain processing enterprises has weakened, the pressure on grain inventory has been highlighted, the ratio of grain inventory to consumption has increased significantly, and the trend of grain prices has been suppressed to a certain extent. At the same time, due to the impact of the first downward adjustment in corn temporary storage prices in September for the first time in eight years, the prices of low-priced wheat and indica rice in the market once showed a chain decline, and the overall trend of grain prices was not optimistic.

"it is worth noting that at present, grain processing enterprises generally have the psychology of buying up but not buying down. It is conceivable that with the entry of a large number of autumn grain into the market, it is difficult to sell grain or it is on the rise." Li Guoxiang said.

In view of this problem, the meeting clearly pointed out that we should do a good job in purchasing autumn grain, increase investment in the construction of storage facilities, speed up the progress of grain depots under construction and maintenance and renovation, add plans to move depots across provinces as needed, and increase the transportation of grain from the north to the south. we will step up efforts to introduce policies to encourage processing enterprises to enter the market to buy grain, strictly investigate "white slips" and depress grades and prices, so as to prevent "difficulties in selling grain."

The meeting also pointed out that it is necessary to reform the mechanism for the formation of grain prices and the collection and storage mechanism, improve the subsidy policy for corn and soybeans, and continue to implement the minimum purchase price policy for wheat, rice and other grain varieties next year.

"the meeting proposed that wheat, rice and other rations will continue to implement the minimum purchase price policy next year, which stabilizes market expectations, protects farmers' enthusiasm for growing grain, is conducive to protecting farmers' interests, and is of great significance to ensuring food security." Said Qin Fu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

"the policy needs to be constantly improved." Qin Fu also said: historically, the minimum purchase price policy that has been implemented for many years has brought the expectation of rigid increases in grain prices to the market, resulting in higher and higher grain prices, widening price differences at home and abroad, and distorting the grain market in the long run. it is not conducive to stable grain production and farmers' income, and the "reform of grain price formation and storage mechanism" proposed by the meeting is imperative.

At present, China has launched a pilot project of target price subsidy for soybeans in Northeast China and Inner Mongolia and cotton in Xinjiang. According to the reform plan, if farmers sell cotton and soybeans below the previously set target prices, they will be subsidized by the state. Experts believe that taking the target price system as the direction, reforming the original price formation mechanism and collection and storage system is expected to finally solve the various problems facing China's grain market.