Jiangxi: From a Traditional Agricultural Province to a Modern Agricultural Strong Province

The reporter learned from the joint press conference of the Jiangxi Provincial Government Information Office and the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on the achievements of agriculture and rural areas in the “magnificent 70 years · new era of struggle”. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China 70 years ago, Jiangxi has vigorously developed efficient and characteristic agriculture, continuously stimulating the internal development momentum of agriculture and rural areas. Agriculture and rural areas have presented a new situation with new meteorology, beautiful appearance, abundant vitality, and good prospects.

Taking advantage of the spring breeze of reform and opening up, Jiangxi has persistently promoted agricultural and rural reform and innovation, comprehensively implemented household contract based production, abolished agricultural taxes, promoted the “three rights separation” of rural contracted land and the reform of rural collective property rights system, continuously liberated and developed rural social productivity. The agricultural and rural landscape of the province has undergone fundamental changes, taking a solid step towards the transformation from a traditional agricultural province to a modern agricultural province.

Over the past 70 years, the level of grain production in Jiangxi has steadily improved, with grain production increasing from 7.753 billion catties in 1949 to 43.814 billion catties in 2018, an increase of 4.7 times; The per capita share of grain increased from 295 kilograms in 1949 to 471 kilograms in 2018, an increase of 60%; The “vegetable basket” products are constantly abundant. In 2018, the province’s oil production reached 1.208 million tons, an increase of 12.8 times compared to 1949; The total fruit production was 4.72 million tons, an increase of 451 times compared to 1949; The tea production is 65000 tons, an increase of 30 times compared to 1949; The total meat production was 3.257 million tons, an increase of 39.2 times compared to 1949; The production of aquatic products reached 2.559 million tons, an increase of 106.5 times compared to 1949.

Over the past 70 years, the contribution rate of agricultural technology progress in Jiangxi has reached 59.02%, and the total power of agricultural machinery has reached 23.82 million kilowatts, which is 12500 times that of 1952 and 9.1 times that of 1978. The comprehensive mechanization level of major crops has reached 72.8%; The infrastructure of farmland has been continuously improved, with a total of 22.515 million acres of high standard farmland built, accounting for 48.6% of the province’s arable land area. The rapid development of “Internet plus agriculture” has taken the lead in establishing a “123+N” smart agriculture platform in the country. Information technology is becoming a new driving force for the development of modern agriculture. Especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Jiangxi has continuously sung the theme of promoting agriculture through quality, green development, and brand strengthening. Agriculture is gradually shifting from an increase in production oriented to an improvement in quality and efficiency oriented, with a total of 5009 “three products and one standard” products developed, including 650 green food and 1825 organic food. The number of certified green and organic agricultural products ranks among the top in the country and is listed as the only “green and organic agricultural product demonstration base pilot province” in China; The brand influence of “Ecological Poyang Lake Green Agricultural Products” continues to increase, and a large number of regional characteristic brands such as Gannan navel orange, Nanfeng tangerine, Wuyuan green tea, Chongren Ma chicken, Lushan Yunwu tea have emerged.