Ensuring food security should not be relaxed at any time

A few days ago, at a panel discussion on the agricultural sector of the CPPCC National Committee, Ren Zhengxiao, member of the CPPCC National Committee and director of the State Grain Administration, proposed to study and judge China's food security situation scientifically and calmly, consolidate the good momentum of hard-won grain production, continue to improve the level of food quality and safety, truly firmly hold the Chinese people's own rice bowls, and fill them with their own rest assured grain.

With regard to the current situation of food security in China, member Ren Zhengxiao believes that under the background of 11 consecutive years of grain production and bumper harvest, there is a "three-high superposition" of high yield, high purchase and high inventory. Some major grain producing areas are facing tremendous pressure of acquisition and storage, and some varieties are in a periodic surplus, but we must not think that China has too much grain. As a result, grain production is relaxed and grain circulation is neglected, thus weakening the grain production capacity that we have only finally established. If grain production collapses, we will not be able to recover for a few years, and we must not forget this profound lesson we once learned. As a matter of fact, China's grain output last year was 1.2142 trillion jin, the highest in history, but the amount of grain per capita was less than 900jin, which was only about 1/3 of that of developed countries. Therefore, the string of grain production must not be relaxed, and ensuring food security is always the top priority of running the country.

With regard to the current high grain inventory, member Ren Zhengxiao analyzed that there are mainly the following factors: first, the farmers' grain storage has been greatly reduced; second, the grain market sales have been in the doldrums for a long time, resulting in the situation that rice is strong and rice is weak, wheat is strong and flour is weak. Grain processing enterprises store more grain means they have to lose money, so enterprises do not store grain, and this part of grain is finally pressed into the national inventory. Third, the state implements the policy of minimum purchase price and temporary purchase and storage, so that part of the grain that should have been normally purchased and sold in the market has also entered the national inventory. Of course, one of the most important reasons is the rare 11 consecutive increases in grain production, the increase in production every year, and the increase in acquisitions year after year, which naturally forms the accumulation of grain stocks, which leads to the rise of grain stocks year after year.

Committee member Ren Zhengxiao further analyzed that the feeling of more grain on the market also lies in that, on the one hand, domestic grain sales are not smooth, and in order to avoid grain losses, purchasing, marketing and processing enterprises are eager to sell existing sources of grain in stock and are unwilling to collect, store and manage more food. this psychological factor that generally exists among enterprises has led to market expectations, resulting in the scene of more and more grain on the market. On the other hand, the impact of grain import and export. As China's grain prices have occupied the "high ground" of the international market, it is not only difficult to export, but also subject to the impact of low-price grain imports on the domestic market. At present, take rice as an example. the price of rice imported into Hong Kong after duty payment is 700 yuan lower per ton than that of domestic rice of the same grade, and if it is rice from border trade or smuggled in, it will be about 1200 yuan lower per ton, that is, more than 60 cents per jin. Therefore, the low price of food rations has had a great impact on the domestic market. The relevant state departments have reasonably and effectively controlled grain imports within the quota, and good results have also been achieved in cracking down on grain smuggling, but the loose relationship between grain supply and demand in the international market and extremely low market grain prices still have a magnifying effect on China's grain market supply and demand. it strengthens the market expectation of falling grain prices. Committee member Ren Zhengxiao believes that China's grain production and demand will remain in a state of tight balance for a long time, and that the current grain market downturn and excessive inventory stages are the normal reflection of market supply and demand, with the improvement of macroeconomic environment and market demand, with the acceleration of the construction of national grain storage facilities, with the adjustment and optimization of grain variety structure, especially the effect of national grain macro-control measures. The grain market will return to normal, and the "worry" mentality that people currently have will be relieved.

On the issue of grain quality, member Ren Zhengxiao believes that China's grain quality has been continuously improved in recent years, the rate of high-quality varieties of wheat, rice, and corn is more than 90 percent, and nutritious, healthy, and safe grain and oil products have enriched the urban and rural markets. From the point of view of rice, the quality of northern japonica rice and southern indica rice is improving, especially the quality of indica rice. Academician Yuan Longping once praised high-quality indica rice in the south that "you can eat three bowls without vegetables." Now hybrid rice not only has high yield, but also can achieve high quality. In recent years, China has not only achieved stable and high grain production, but also rapidly improved the quality of grain. We should have enough self-confidence in this regard. There are high-quality rice in foreign markets. In fact, the price of our domestic rice is not high, but the quality is not inferior, just as we do not need to go abroad to buy toilet seats. In fact, Chinese toilet seats are also very good. We should build up the self-confidence of the national brand.

Committee member Ren Zhengxiao stressed: grain is not only the most basic food, but also the basic raw material for the production and processing of other foods.Therefore, food quality and safety is the source and foundation of food safety as a whole. The guarantee of food quality and safety depends on the excellent agricultural ecological environment. Only under the conditions of good ecology and safe environment can safe, assured and high-quality grain and oil products and agricultural products be produced.

Member Ren Zhengxiao analyzed: at present, the overall situation of food and food security in China is stable and improving, and the management of the agricultural ecological environment is also continuing to increase. However, in some places, economic development is still put above the protection of the ecological environment, and there are still some phenomena such as direct discharge of waste from a small number of enterprises, direct dumping of urban waste to rural areas and excessive use of high-residue products by agricultural producers. If these conditions are allowed to develop, it will directly cause pollution and damage to cultivated land and water resources, and even lead to excessive heavy metals in soil and water sources, which will bring serious hidden dangers to food and food security.

In this regard, member Ren Zhengxiao suggested that the state should further take measures to get to the root of the problem and control the agricultural ecological environment in accordance with the law. First of all, it is necessary to strengthen environmental protection legislation, formulate laws and regulations on the prevention and control of cultivated land and water resources on the basis of strict implementation of the Environmental Protection Law, and initiate the implementation of a governance action plan. Secondly, we should earnestly implement the main responsibility of environmental protection, force all enterprises and agricultural producers in accordance with the law, vigorously save energy and reduce emissions, reduce agricultural pollution, and purify the agricultural production environment. The third is to strictly enforce the law on environmental protection, truly ensure that violations of the law must be prosecuted and law enforcement must be strict, and let those who wantonly destroy the agricultural ecological environment pay the due price. Fourth, it is necessary to strengthen assessment and accountability, urge local governments to fulfill their duties and act actively, and ensure that grain and oil products and agricultural products that make the common people feel more at ease are produced under the environment of beautiful mountains and clear rivers, green land and blue sky. Finally, and the most important one, it is hoped that the central and local finance will do their best to increase investment in environmental governance and environmental protection, so as to guide and encourage social capital to invest in environmental governance and ecological industries.