Regulation and Policy 

Minister Chen Yaobang Emphasizes Solving Strategic Problems and Disseminating Research Results (March 15, 1999)

How should China further implement the strategy of invigorating agriculture via science and education and speed up the pace of promoting the agricultural technical revolution?  At a meeting to arrange this year's work, Mr. Chen Yaobang, Minister of Agriculture, emphasized the following tasks: to grasp every favorable opportunity to speed up the construction of an system for creating new scientific and technological ideas for agriculture, resolutely work to solve strategic problems in agricultural production, disseminate agricultural research results, agricultural education and training. 

First of all, it is imperative to strengthen agricultural strategic research projects.  It is essential to concentrate material and financial resources to speed up the construction and improvement of national agricultural research creation centers, improve China's creative ability in biological engineering, information technology and other high and new technological domains.  Meanwhile, it is essential to strengthen research on key application technologies, which restrict the development of agriculture and rural economy and give priority to making breakthroughs in these aspects.  To optimize the distribution of agricultural research institutions and the structure of agricultural disciplines, it is essential to adhere to the principle of "making one end stable while giving full authority in the other side". Support should concentrate on research institutions which have their superiority, special features and potentials, encourage other research institutions to switch to extension, development and technical service, with the objective of strengthening the dissemination of research results and industrial development. 

Secondly, it is essential to earnestly strengthen experiments and demonstrations of high and new agricultural technologies, strengthen the construction of pilot experiment bases and speed up pilot experiments, maturity and transformation of applied research results.  It is essential to do a good job in the assembly and perfection of high and new technologies and strengthen the standardization of agricultural technologies.  

It is imperative to do a good job in the extension of excellent fine crop varieties (lines) and animal breeds, highly efficient animal husbandry, water-saving irrigation for dry land agriculture, model cultivation, cost-saving, more efficient mechanization, crop and livestock insect and disease control technology using "seed engineering" and the "bumper harvest plan" as the basis.  

Mr. Chen Yaobang pointed out that it essential to strengthen agricultural education and technical training, do a conscientious job in agricultural higher education, medium-level education and vocational education, and gradually establish an agricultural education system with clear-cut levels, rational structure, mutual linkage and coordinated development.