The world’s biggest grower of cereal grains – staple foods that comprise the most ubiquitous crops – is looking to further solidify its self-reliance in agricultural science and technology through 2028, according to a newly unveiled strategic plan.
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China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has outlined 10 critically important areas to prioritise while keeping a close eye on advancements in the world’s technological frontiers, according to the plan released on Friday.
Biotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), the breeding of new agricultural varieties, the improvement of arable land quality, and the development of innovative agricultural machinery and equipment will all be at the forefront of China’s self-sufficiency push as it strives to ensure food security for more than 1.4 billion people while maintaining its industrial chain’s independent and controllable nature.
“In today’s world, scientific and technological innovation has become the main battlefield of international strategic competition, with an unprecedentedly fierce race for technological dominance,” said an article, written by a ministry official, that appeared in the Communist Party’s Qiushi Journal on Monday and further discussed the ministry’s new plan.
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Chinese entrepreneur breathes new life into rural mountain village with his tofu business
Chinese entrepreneur breathes new life into rural mountain village with his tofu business
Last year, China’s grain output exceeded 7 billion metric tonnes for the first time – a milestone in which agricultural technology played a crucial role, the piece added.
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The ministry emphasised that the new wave of an agricultural technology revolution, driven by biotechnology and information technology, is on the verge of achieving significant breakthroughs.