Smart agri tech to spur rural modernisation

(China Daily/ANN) -- Officials and experts have commended China’s mission to enhance efforts to modernise agriculture and advance rural vitalisation during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), adding that the move is critical to the country’s overall modernisation and food security amid global uncertainties.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Jun said agricultural and rural modernisation will remain a strategic priority as China seeks to bolster domestic development and respond to external risks.
“Modernising agriculture and rural areas is integral to the overall success and quality of China’s path to modernisation,” Han said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency ahead of the annual Central Rural Work Conference taking place in Beijing.
Han described rural modernisation as a “ballast stone” for economic and social stability, saying it supports the establishment of a new development paradigm by narrowing the urban-rural gap and ensuring farmers share in the benefits of modernisation.
“By 2035, hundreds of millions of farmers are expected to step into modern life, unleashing enormous momentum for development and consumption,” he said.
China enters the next five-year planning period on a solid foundation, marked by steady growth in grain and major agricultural product output. Grain production reached a record 715 million metric tonnes this year, with science and technology contributing over 64 percent toward overall agricultural growth.
However, challenges remain as rural development lags behind and sustaining income growth for farmers is difficult, Han said, calling for continued focus on agriculture, rural areas and farmers.
China will launch a new round of measures to raise grain production capacity by 50 million tonnes, accelerate the construction of high-standard farmland, advance the seed industry and promote smart agricultural machinery. It will also develop a more diversified food supply system and expand agricultural processing to boost farmers’ incomes.
Sun Qixin, president of China Agricultural University, said developing new quality productive forces in agriculture in ways suited to local conditions is key to overcoming development bottlenecks and promoting high-quality growth.
“Efforts should be grounded in China’s diverse resource endowments and uneven agricultural development, focusing on fostering new drivers of productivity,” Sun said.
Biotechnology is expected to serve as a core engine for developing new quality productive forces in agriculture. Sun said breakthroughs in gene editing and synthetic biology are likely to reshape production models and upgrade agricultural industries.

(Latest Update December 31, 2025)