By Tu Lei (Global Times)
An expert from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the government researchinstitute, yesterday warned that the nation urgently needs to increase its agriculturalmodernization in order for it to keep pace with other sectors.
He Chuanqi, director of the China Center for Modernization Research under the CAS,made his remarks at a press conference on agricultural modernization held in Beijingyesterday.
The yields of grain, rice and wheat in China in 2008 had reached the same level as indeveloped countries. However, China's agricultural labor productivity was about 47percent of the world's average, and just 1 percent of that in the US, He said.
He also mentioned that China's agricultural level in 2008 was about 100 years behindthat of the US, and that China's agricultural labor productivity is about one-tenth that ofits industrial labor productivity.
"Agriculture in China has developed well in some ways, but not so well in others," Hesaid.
According to figures from the US Department of Agriculture, between 2011 and 2012,rice production on average in China was 6.64 tons per hectare, compared with 7.5 tonsin the US.
However, "it is not proper to compare two countries' agricultural level simply viastatistics," Weng Ming, a professor with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, toldthe Global Times yesterday.
"The experience of developed countries indicates that industrialization and urbanizationcome first, followed by agricultural modernization," Weng said.
According to Weng, there are certain historic reasons for the backwardness of Chineseagriculture such as the policies of supporting urban development, sometimes to thedisadvantage of rural areas, such as requiring cheap agricultural products.
"But the government has also taken measures to encourage agricultural development,"Weng noted.
In 2005, Premier Wen Jiabao announced in his annual government work report thatChina would exempt farmers from agricultural taxes in 2006, two years ahead ofschedule.
In February this year, the State Council released a development plan for modernagriculture up to 2015.
According to the plan, China will pay attention to transforming the development modelfor agriculture, prioritizing agricultural disaster prevention and ecological environmentprotection, and promoting agricultural technology.
He Chuanqi, director of the China Center for Modernization Research under the CAS,made his remarks at a press conference on agricultural modernization held in Beijingyesterday.
The yields of grain, rice and wheat in China in 2008 had reached the same level as indeveloped countries. However, China's agricultural labor productivity was about 47percent of the world's average, and just 1 percent of that in the US, He said.
He also mentioned that China's agricultural level in 2008 was about 100 years behindthat of the US, and that China's agricultural labor productivity is about one-tenth that ofits industrial labor productivity.
"Agriculture in China has developed well in some ways, but not so well in others," Hesaid.
According to figures from the US Department of Agriculture, between 2011 and 2012,rice production on average in China was 6.64 tons per hectare, compared with 7.5 tonsin the US.
However, "it is not proper to compare two countries' agricultural level simply viastatistics," Weng Ming, a professor with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, toldthe Global Times yesterday.
"The experience of developed countries indicates that industrialization and urbanizationcome first, followed by agricultural modernization," Weng said.
According to Weng, there are certain historic reasons for the backwardness of Chineseagriculture such as the policies of supporting urban development, sometimes to thedisadvantage of rural areas, such as requiring cheap agricultural products.
"But the government has also taken measures to encourage agricultural development,"Weng noted.
In 2005, Premier Wen Jiabao announced in his annual government work report thatChina would exempt farmers from agricultural taxes in 2006, two years ahead ofschedule.
In February this year, the State Council released a development plan for modernagriculture up to 2015.
According to the plan, China will pay attention to transforming the development modelfor agriculture, prioritizing agricultural disaster prevention and ecological environmentprotection, and promoting agricultural technology.
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