China's Food Security Guaranteed by Quality Grains from Black Soil Region of Northeastern China

On May 25, 2016, CPC's General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Heilongjiang Province, saying that as a major agricultural province and major grain producing area, Heilongjiang Province has made important contributions to national food security for a long time. In the past five years, as a "ballast" for the national food security, Heilongjiang Province has continuously ranked the first place in terms of the total grain output, commercial grain volume and grain transfer volume in China. It has made outstanding contributions to national food security."

The farmers in Heilongjiang Province have kept their mission in mind and are committed to ensuring grain production. Since the total grain output exceeded 150 billion jin in 2018 (1 jin =0.5 kg), the annual grain output was over 150 billion jin for three consecutive years in Heilongjiang Province. In 2020, this number reached 150.82 billion jin, accounting for 11.3% of the total grain output in China. Heilongjiang Province has achieved 17 years’ harvests in a row, ranking the first in the country for 10 consecutive years and accounting for 1/9 of the country. In a word, one bowl of rice in every nine bowls of rice in China comes from Heilongjiang Province. In 2020, Heilongjiang Province witnessed 85.137 million mu area with green organic food certification, including 19.345 million mu of green organic corn.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Heilongjiang Province has been dedicated to deepening the agricultural supply-side structural reforms under the rural revitalization strategy and General Secretary Xi Jinping's leadership. Heilongjiang Province is continuously making innovation, and accelerating the development of a strong agricultural province, and promoting continuous new progress in the development of agriculture and rural areas. Adhering to the agricultural modernization, Heilongjiang Province continuously improves the agricultural mechanization, technology, water conservancy, industrialization, and scalization. Heilongjiang Province takes the lead in terms of the indicators for agricultural modernization, and lays a solid foundation for producing more and better grains. Now, it has become the "national granary of China" in real sense.

Heilongjiang, the national granary of China

Yang Haide is a major grain farmer in Ning'an City, Heilongjiang Province. He is full of confidence this year. He said, "This year, 40 shang (600 mu, 1 mu = 0.067 ha.) of millet and 60 shang (900 mu) of corn have been planted in fully mechanized manner. The rainfall does not affect the sowing at present and the sowing will be completed on May 15 2021. As we had good harvest last year, I'm quite confident and more enthusiastic."

What makes Yang Haide confident is the modern agricultural production method represented by agricultural mechanization. During 2010 to 2020, Heilongjiang has achieved leapfrog development of agricultural mechanization, and the proportion of large-scale agricultural machinery and equipment has increased. Heilongjiang Province always takes a leading position in the mechanization of the whole process. Information and intelligent agricultural machinery and equipment have been widely used, and new agricultural mechanization technologies have been rapidly promoted.

The number of large tractors with more than 100 horsepower in Heilongjiang Province increases from 14,000 to 77,000 at present, of which 31,340 are tractors with more than 200 horsepower. Large agricultural machinery engaged in field operations has increased from less than 1% a decade ago to more than 10%. At the same time, the number of large subsoilers, rollover plows and combined land preparation machines have also grown rapidly. The application of these large-scale agricultural machinery and equipment has improved the Heilongjiang Province's ability to standardize agricultural machinery operations, increased the depth of the plough layer, and significantly enhanced the capacity of soil to store water and maintain moisture, thus laying a solid foundation for high grain yield and income growth.

Sowing and ploughing on the black soil cultivated land

In 2010, the comprehensive mechanization of main crops in Heilongjiang Province was 88.6%, ranking the top in China. By the end of 2020, this figure has increased to 98%. Heilongjiang Province not only continues to maintain its leading position in the comprehensive mechanization, but also maintains a growth momentum of nearly one percent per year. At present, 60 major grain producing counties in Heilongjiang Province have been rated as demonstration counties for the whole process mechanization of major crops in China.

In last several years, Heilongjiang has promoted intelligent and precise agricultural production based on technical means, such as mobile Internet, satellite navigation, and intelligent control. At present, the preparation and planting in about 40 million mu of dry land and paddy land has become digitized, intelligent and precise. In Heilongjiang Province, a total of 60,000 sets of large agricultural machinery are equipped with intelligent terminals, and nearly 10,000 tractors have Beidou navigation assisted driving. In this way, the labor intensity of agricultural machinery operators has been effectively reduced and the operation accuracy has been improved.

Based on local conditions, Heilongjiang Province has developed the farming modes of the "returning straws to the field and two-year no-tillage" in the dry fields and the "one-year ploughing and two-year rotary tillage" in the paddy fields. These methods effectively protect the precious black soil cultivated land, which not only solves the problem of open-air burning of straw, but also restores and improves the soil fertility. At the same time, some technologies have also been popularized, such as precision seeding, layered fertilizer application, fertilizer deep appplication around roots, high-efficiency plant protection, and no-tillage seeding.

Harvested paddy fields at 850 Farm

Promoting Independent innovation of seed industry based on China’s germplasm resources 

On May 9, 2021, the Wuchang farming festival with the theme of "God Given Wuchang-Olympic Quality" was organized by Golden Dragon Fish Company in Wuchang City, Heilongjiang Province. Golden Dragon Fish Company, an internationally renowned enterprise, holds the farming festival in Wuchang City every year to celebrate the farming and cheer for farmers. The star product of Golden Dragon Fish is "Wuchang Daohuaxiang No. 2", as the native variety having its scientific name of Wuyoudao No. 4, is the symbol of "Wuchang rice".

Heilongjiang Province has firmly implemented the decisions and arrangement of the Party Central Committee and the State Council. The modern seed industry has achieved rapid development, and the independent innovation capability of the seed industry has been continuously enhanced in Heilongjiang Province. At present, Heilongjiang Province takes a lead in the breeding of conventional japonica rice, soybean, and potato in China. The province has basically achieved full coverage of improved varieties of main crops. In terms of the planted rice and soybean, conventional japonica rice and soybean independently selected varieties account for 100%, and the contribution rate of improved varieties to the growth in grain production reaches 45%.

The ability to protect germplasm resources has been significantly improved in Heilongjiang Province. The number of germplasm resources library has increased from 2 to 4, and the number of germplasm resources keeps increasing, from 50,000 to 140,000 accessions. At present, more than 3,200 accessions of potato germplasm have been preserved, which is the highest in Asia. A total of 1,703 accessions of sugar beet germplasm have been preserved, ranking the fifth in the world. A total of 786 accessions of wild soybean germplasm have been preserved, the highest in China. Abundant germplasm resources have laid a solid foundation for variety innovation.

Various biotechnologies have been applied, such as MAS (molecular marker-assisted breeding), diplo-haplonitc breeding, and gene editing. Major research institutions and large-scale backbone seed companies have shifted from conventional breeding to the combination beteen conventional breeding and biotechnologies. Beidahuang Kenfeng Seed Industry has set up a biological breeding research and development center and transformed from the breeding stage 2.0 to 3.0, so that the breeding efficiency has been significantly improved. The number of approved and popularized varieties in the province has been increased from less than 100 to more than 300.

With the improved varieties, grain yields have been steadily increased. The average yields of corn and soybean varieties in the production trials are 1,376.4 jin per mu and 356.8 jin per mu, respectively. In 2020, the yield of the soybean variety Henong 71 reached 672.4 jin per mu, setting a new record for the actual yield of soybean in Northeast China. The contribution rate of improved varieties to the increase of grain production has been increased from 38% to 45%, which helps increase grain output from 100 billion jin to 150 billion jin, and provides strong support for the seventeenth consecutive growth of the grains.

The quality of grain varieties has been improved significantly. The bulk density of corn varieties has increased by 10 grams per liter compared with 10 years ago. The number of varieties suitable for machine-harvested grain has increased by 39, which has promoted the entire mechanized production of corn, and the water content of grains has been significantly reduced. The rice varieties used in production all meet the quality rice paddy standards. Wuyoudao No. 4 has become the quality japonica rice variety with its excellent taste and won the gold medal of China Heilongjiang International Rice Festival for three consecutive years in Heilongjiang. Longjing 31 has been promoted more than 100 million mu and is the most important rice variety in China. The annual planting area of Suijing 18 exceeds 10 million mu.

Grain output growth driven by technological innovation

According to Li Hongguan, Director of the Agricultural Development Department of Junchuan Farm Co., Ltd., under the Beidahuang Group, “Every link in this year’s spring plowing and planting season has demonstrated the power of science and technology. Each 58×28 cm tray, which looks like a honeycomb, is a new type of rice seedling tray. In each rice seedling tray, 125 grams of quality rice seeds need to be placed accurately. After 35 days of seedling raising in the 'factory’s greenhouse', about 4,400 seedlings will emerge from each tray. A total of 33 trays of seedlings are needed per mu of land."

It has become commonplace for farmers in Heilongjiang Province to adopt scientific methods. At the end of April, Agriculture and Rural Bureau of Wuchang City held an on-site meeting for corn conservation tillage and no-tillage seeding. During the meeting, participants paid great attention to new technology. Zhao Liguo, a major farmer adopting no-tillage technology, said happily: “Conservation tillage is effective. I have planted nearly 5,000 mu of corn and the income is expected to be increased by RMB 100,000 yuan.” Heilongjiang has transformed from zero no-tillage planters a decade ago to nearly 30,000 with an operating capacity of nearly 30 million mu, which provides equipment support for the protection of precious black soil cultivated land.

No-tillage seeding is only one of countless new agricultural technologies. In order to improve quality and yield of grains, Heilongjiang has widely promoted new agricultural technologies and achievements.

Tray-raised rice seedling has been significantly promoted. In this way, strong seedlings with vigorous roots have been achieved. The damages are reduced to minimum and seedlings can recover health very soon. Rice production increases by 8%, and the extension area reaches 10 million mu. The promotion of the mechanical deep fertilizer application technology in the paddy fields not only improves the fertilizer use efficiency, but also reduces the fertilizer applied amount by 10%. The costs of artificial fertilizer application is reduced, the grain yield is increased by 5%, and the extension area reaches 5 million mu.

In the first and the second accumulative temperature areas, the two-line and broad ridge technology is adopted for corns to increase ventilation and light transmission, increase photosynthetic efficiency, reduce grain water content, improve quality and efficiency. In this way, grain yield is increased by 5%-8%, and an area of over 10 million mu has been popularized. In the third and the fourth accumulative temperature areas, the 110 cm two-line, broad ridge and dense cultivation technology has been adopted for corn. The overall planting density has been increased by 20%, reaching 5,000-6,000 plants per mu. Corn varieties change from late-maturing varieties to mid-early convergent and machine-friendly varieties so as to achieve mechanized harvesting of corn and increase corn yield by 10%, reduce harvesting costs and extenda planting area of 30 million mu.

Heilongjiang Province prefers high-quality and high-protein varieties in the selection of soybean varieties. In terms of cultivation technology, the three-line and dense planting technology model on 110 cm broad ridges has been extended and applied. The overall planting density has been increased by 15%. At the same time, the corn-soybean rotation has been adopted, the grain yield per mu has been increased by more than 8%, and the extension area reaches 30 million mu.

The variety of facility vegetables has been changed from traditional bulk local varieties to diversified high-quality and special-purpose varieties, such as those nutritious fresh varieties and quality varieties for off-season production, processing and storage. In facilities, innovation has been made in quality greenhouses, like three-chord type energy-saving glasshouse, water-scene curtain wall, solar heat collector, double-arch and double-layer-film sheds. Technically, advanced technologies have been integrated, such as grafting seedlings, straw fermentation and bioenergy utilization, fertigation, organic fertilizers (replacing chemical fertilizers), and physical and chemical prevention and control of plant diseases and insect pests.

New farming model brought by systematism

This year, the Chaoyue Cooperative of Longjiang County has signed a trusteeship service contract with farmers for the corn production of 620,000 mu, of which 310,000 mu has been fully entrusted. The cooperative provides an integrated full-chain service, including agricultural material supply, fertilizer balance application, agricultural machinery operations, integrated prevention and control, and purchasing, processing and storage. The farmers pay the trusteeship fees, which include all the expenses of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, agricultural machinery, farming, planting, management, and harvesting, and the transportation. The cooperative provides customized services for the farmers. In cooperation with COFCO, the cooperative operates the “grain bank” and establishes pricing system. After the grain is harvested, the grain is sent directly to the grain warehouse. The farmers choose the settlement time according to the market conditions, so that the grain value can be maintained and increased.

General Secretary Xi Jinping made important instructions, "Achieving the organic connection between smallholder farmers and modern agriculture through improving the socialized service system for agriculture’. In accordance with his instructions, since 2018, Heilongjiang Province has actively promoted the service work for agricultural production based on the principle of "pilot going first and point-to-plane approach”. Heilongjiang Province spares no efforts to promote the full-process trusteeship service model of “production trusteeship + rural finance + agricultural insurance + grain bank” with Lanxi County as an example. Driven by the pilot demonstration, a total of 116 million mu of land in Heilongjiang has been entrusted for agricultural production in 2020, including 6.5 million mu of area being completely entrusted. The agricultural production trusteeship service has shown a sound development momentum. A lot of experience has been drawn from the pilot models of Lanxi County, Bayan County, Longjiang County and other places. The "Longjiang Path" of agricultural production trusteeship services has been formed. Up to now, more than 20 million mu of land in Heilongjiang Province has been included in the contract for the full-process trusteeship service. More than 900 rural collective economic organizations have participated in the entire trusteeship services, and the 4.78 million mu of land has been included into the signed contract.

In last several years, Heilongjiang Province has conscientiously implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions, that is, “We must focus on the development of two types of agricultural business entities, i.e., family farms and farmer cooperatives”. Heilongjiang Province vigorously develops new agricultural business entities, actively guides the orderly transfer of rural land, and develop various forms of moderate scale operations in an accelerated manner, further liberate and develop rural productivity, improve labor productivity and the competitiveness of agricultural products, stabilize the food security, continuously increase farmers' income, and accelerate the agricultural modernization. In 2020, in Heilongjiang Province, the area of large-scale farmland with the size of more than 200 mu exceeds 130 million mu, accounting for 54% of the total arable land area in Heilongjiang Province. There are 200,000 new agricultural business entities, such as family farms, farmer cooperatives, and agricultural enterprises in the province and these agricultural business entities operate various agricultural activities, including high-quality grain, animal husbandry, and cash crops. A solid foundation has been laid for ensuring the food security.

A good start and step for the "14th Five-Year Plan"

This year is also the first year of the "14th Five-Year Plan". Heilongjiang Province proposes to accurately grasp the new development stage, thoroughly implement the new development concept, actively follow the new development pattern, strive to realize the agricultural and rural modernization, fully implement the rural revitalization strategy and renew a chapter for the development of agriculture, rural areas and farmers in the future.

Heilongjiang Province resolutely maintains national food security. Driven by the development of strategic demonstration zones of “food crop production strategy based on farmland management and technological application”, Heilongjiang Province continuously applies fine varieties, methods, and land, expands the planting area, increases the production capacity, increases the grain yield per unit, and increases the total grain output. The sown area of grain crops reaches 216.9 million mu, and the grain output constantly reaches more than 150 billion jin. In this way, quality grains can be produced and supplied to other areas of China at all times. In real sense, China can have more quality "Heilongjiang grains". "Two critical measures" will be implemented in the future, i.e., the pilot program for the protection and utilization of black soil cultivated land is promoted and the precious black soil cultivated land is protected based on the system of responsible personnel for grain fields. Heilongjiang Province is committed to the in-depth implementation of modern seed improvement projects and the technical R&D on the "bottleneck" technology of seeds. Heilongjiang Province accelerates the agricultural science and technology innovation, builds a modern collaborative innovation system for agricultural industry, creates provincial-level high-standard science and technology parks, establishes agricultural science and technology demonstration bases, and builds a national digital agriculture base. The contribution rate of science and technology reaches more than 69%.

Heilongjiang Province spares no efforts to create a model for rural revitalization in the Northeast China. Based on the development of rural industries, Heilongjiang Province vigorously develops the rural economy, attracts investment, attracts leading deep processing enterprises, and strives to increase the conversion rate of grain into agricultural products. Heilongjiang Province has implemented in-depth rural construction to make up for the shortcomings of infrastructure in an accelerated manner and continue to renovate the rural areas. Village planning has been accelerated. A five-year action campaign has been implemented to improve the rural living environment, and the rural toilets have been renovated according to local conditions. Driven by the rural reform, Heilongjiang Province deepens the reform on the rural collective property rights system, and prudently forges ahead the pilot reform of rural homesteads. New business entities have been developed, the whole-process land trusteeship has been strengthened, the "agricultural big data + finance" model has been developed, and the investment channels for rural revitalization have been broadened.

Heilongjiang Province is dedicated to consolidating the achievements in poverty alleviation and revitalizing rural areas, strengthening the monitoring and assistance mechanism to prevent the farmers from returning to poverty, developing and expanding the poverty alleviation industry, and maintaining the policy stability during transitional period. Meanwhile, Heilongjiang Province also optimizes and adjusts the functionalities of the poverty alleviation agencies at the provincial, municipal and county levels and ensures the stability of local poverty alleviation team.

SOURCE：

http://www.farmer.com.cn/2021/06/28/99873234.html