The programme for agricultural science and technology enterprises aims to groom 100 leading enterprises, 1,000 rapidly growing enterprises and 10,000 high-potential enterprises.
“We will implement the Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand programme for nurturing agricultural science and technology enterprises, continuing to cultivate one hundred leading enterprises, one thousand rapidly growing enterprises and ten thousand high-potential enterprises,” said Maierdan Mugaiti, vice minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), during a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on September 29.
The move is part of Beijing’s drive for self-reliance in agricultural science and technology under the 15th Five-Year Plan.
“We will keep our sights firmly on the goal of high-level self-reliance and strength in agricultural science and technology,” said Mugaiti.
This push comes as Beijing increasingly recognises technology as the engine of agricultural modernisation.
“At present, the contribution rate of agricultural science and technology progress in China has exceeded 64% and science and technology have become a key variable in the modernisation of agriculture and rural areas,” said Mugaiti.
He highlighted China’s recent advances in agricultural science, such as Chinese researchers’ discovery of the principle by which a single plant cell develops into a complete plant.
Research strategies
The government aims to take a more strategic approach to its research pipeline.
Mugaiti said there would be 11 priority areas of research, highlighting crop cultivation, livestock and aquaculture, and agricultural product processing.
The aim is to advance original innovation alongside work on key and core technologies, providing what he described as a “source of fresh water” to enable progress.
Artificial intelligence is expected to lead a shift in research methods, said the vice minister.
“We will strengthen the development of innovation conditions and capabilities, using artificial intelligence to lead a transformation in research paradigms.”
Additionally, he said national laboratories, agricultural research institutions and high-level universities would be guided to focus on their core responsibilities and main areas of work.
“While fostering appropriate competition, we must also promote division of labour and cooperation, strengthen organised scientific and technological research, and avoid low-level duplication and homogeneous development.”
From lab to farm
The vice minister stressed that agricultural research and innovation must ultimately be able to reach the farm and benefit farmers.
“Agricultural scientific and technological achievements must ultimately be put to use in the fields.”
To do so, he called for better collaboration between scientists and businesses, as well as clearer routes for turning scientific discoveries into real products and practices in the fields.
“We will promote the integration of science and industry and keep the channels for transforming scientific and technological achievements open,” he said.
Initiatives will cover the high-quality development of agricultural machinery and equipment, the upgrading of agricultural biomanufacturing, and AI-plus agriculture.
“We will speed up the large-scale application of new technologies, new products and new scenarios, so that agricultural scientific and technological achievements truly serve industry, benefit farmers, and are translated into real productive forces.”
