Can we stand the test of a bumper harvest?

The joy of a bumper harvest of summer grain is not over, and the farmers are busy with the autumn grain in the field again. Whether there can be a bumper harvest of grain throughout the year depends on autumn grain. Whether autumn grain can be obtained depends on more contents: whether the planting area can increase steadily, whether various support policies can be put in place, whether it can withstand the test of climate impermanence and frequent occurrence of diseases and insect pests, and so on. Whether it can withstand the test of a bumper harvest is a more severe test for us.

Signs of intoxication and paralysis caused by the "National Day holiday increase" of summer grain have been revealed in some places. Can our country's food security really rest easy?. Why is it that under the background of years of bumper grain harvests in China, the central government is still repeatedly emphasizing the strategy of ensuring national food security and emphasizing that the rice bowls of the Chinese people should be firmly in their own hands at all times?

It is not too much to emphasize so repeatedly, because the lessons of history have repeatedly proved that it is easy to relax after a bumper harvest, and as long as the mind is relaxed, grain is bound to decline.

Far away, let's say that in the past 30 years of reform and opening up, there has been more than one decline in grain, even after entering the new century. The reason why the central government issued the No. 1 document on the theme of "agriculture, rural areas and farmers" in 2004 is that China's grain output has declined continuously, farmers' income is hovering at a low speed, and stabilizing agriculture and grain production is a major issue related to the overall situation. The No. 1 document of that year targeted the increase of farmers' income and issued three unprecedented policies to benefit farmers: providing direct subsidies to grain farmers, reducing the burden of agricultural taxes and fees, and implementing a minimum purchase price system for key agricultural products. This has greatly aroused the enthusiasm of farmers in growing grain, increasing the output of grain by more than 70 billion jin that year.

Since 2004, the central government has continuously issued 11 No. 1 documents with the theme of "agriculture, rural areas and farmers", which have played an extremely important role in ensuring agricultural and rural development and food security. The No.1 document issued this year is the 11th consecutive No.1 document since the new century. The No. 1 document of the 11 Central Committee has brought 10 consecutive years of bumper harvest and the "11th consecutive increase" of summer grain this year.

Our successive bumper harvests have strongly hit back at the pessimistic view of "who will feed China" that once appeared in the world. However, we must see that the current internal and external environment and conditions of agricultural and rural development are undergoing profound changes, various contradictions and deep-seated constraints have become more prominent, and have reached the stage of sustainable development without deepening reform.

In the past two years, under the complex situation at home and abroad, we have innovated ways of macro-control and achieved stable and good economic operation, thanks to a bumper grain harvest. Because food accounts for more than 1% of the consumer price statistics in China, food prices account for 60% to 70% of the rising consumer prices in recent years. This year, the upward pressure on prices may be even greater than that of last year. To achieve the expected goal of economic development, especially to control the increase in consumer prices at around 3.5%, the key is to ensure the supply of grain and other major agricultural products. After the "11th consecutive increase" of summer grain, the supporting factors of agricultural production have become very tight, with increased constraints on fresh water resources, rising production costs, tightening ecological and environmental constraints, increasing difficulty in increasing production, and a slight relaxation, there is a danger of decline.

Moreover, at present, China's grain supply and demand is in a state of tight balance. In the future, with the increase in the total population, the increase in the proportion of urban population, and the increase in the income level of residents, the total grain demand will continue to grow, and the demand structure will undergo profound changes. This tight balance will intensify. If grain production is reduced more, there will be an imbalance between supply and demand, which will have a serious impact on economic and social development.

Some people will say that we can totally rely on imports. Properly importing some grain is beneficial to regulating and replenishing domestic supply and alleviating the pressure on resources and environment, and it is also cost-effective economically. However, after all, the capacity of the international grain market is limited, there are too many imports, and the risks and costs are also great. In a populous country like China, once there is a big grain problem, no one can save us, even if we have money and pay a high price, we may not be able to buy enough food from the international market. 1.3 billion Chinese cannot expect to support themselves by buying food. Holding on to one's own rice bowls is a reality that Chinese people must face.

The food issue should not be viewed only from an economic point of view, but also from a political and strategic point of view. This is why the new CPC Central Committee has put the protection of national food security in a more prominent position and stressed the importance of persisting in solving the problem of food mainly by its own strength.

When we emphasize the protection of food security, we do not want to go back to the old road of "taking grain as the key link and cutting it out in an all-round way". To ensure food security, it is fundamentally necessary to promote agricultural modernization, based on China's national conditions and agricultural conditions, follow the law of modernization, rely on scientific and technological support and innovation, and improve land output rate, resource utilization rate, and labor productivity. we will strive to embark on a new road of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics with advanced production technology, moderate management scale, strong market competitiveness and sustainable ecological environment.

There are more than 1.3 billion mouths to eat in our country. Remember, grain is safe all over the world!