According to the new institutional reform program, the new ministry of agriculture and rural areas will integrate the responsibilities of the Ministry of agriculture and integrate of the responsibilities of the national development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of finance, the Ministry of land and resources and the Ministry of water resources on the management of agricultural investment projects. And the responsibility of the inspection and supervision of the fishing vessels of the former Ministry of agriculture will be transferred into the Ministry of transportation.
The general purpose for setting up this new Ministry is to adhere to the priority development of agriculture and rural areas, carry out the strategy of Rural Revitalization as a whole, and promote the overall upgrading of agriculture, the overall progress of rural areas and the all-round development of farmers, to accelerate the modernization of agricultural and rural areas.
In the past, several ministries are involved in rural work, such as the Ministry of Finance in the Department of agriculture, and the National Agricultural Comprehensive Development Office, the function is that the development of comprehensive agricultural development policies and projects, funds, financial management system; establishment of agricultural comprehensive development planning; management and overall arrangement of the central finance comprehensive agricultural development funds; implementation of inspection the comprehensive agricultural development project etc. An important task will merging work of agricultural and rural areas under the new department, research and organize the implementation of the work strategy, planning and policy and unifying the management of agriculture, Coordinating the use of the funds using on agriculture and rural area and to smooth the problem of rural management.
In China, the problems of agriculture, rural area and farmers are the fundamental problem of the national economy and the people’s livelihood.
The report of the nineteen Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that China should adhere to the priority development of agriculture and rural areas, and establish a sound system and policy system for urban and rural integration development according to the general requirements of industrial prosperity, livable ecology, rural civilization, effective governance and affluent life. So for the new Ministry, its main tasks will Not only to develop, to supervise and manage the planting, animal husbandry, fishery and agricultural mechanization, but also to extend the industrial chain and develop the processing industry of agricultural products. Not only to increase farmers’ income, but also be able to go to school, afford to seek medical-care. At the same time, it has to improve the ecological environment in the rural area, make the rural area to be livable and suitable, to attract people to rural entrepreneurship, to attract the city people to the countryside for their holidays and health.
To better promote “modernization” in the countryside, the new Ministry will also have to take effort on 1) development of green agriculture. The current agricultural environmental pollution and ecological deterioration trend has not been effectively curbed, green quality agricultural products and ecological products supply is insufficient, to further the establishment of arable land fallow, efficient agricultural water saving cropping system, improve the chemical fertilizer and pesticide use reduction system, improve the system utilization of straw, livestock manure and other resources;2) Increase investment in the construction and improvement of rural modernization, drinking water and other infrastructure;3) develop new ways to allow farmers share the achievements of modern agricultural development. The driving force of new business entities to small farmers should be taken as an important measure of government support policies. At the same time, small farmers should be guided and organized to participate in professional cooperation through land stock participation and agricultural industrialization operation, so as to achieve risk sharing and benefit sharing. 4) To push forward the structural reform of agricultural supply side and push forward the reform of agricultural economic system, we should focus on improving the property right system and the allocation of factor market, and wake up the sleeping resources and assets in the countryside. 5) deepen the reform of the rural land system and improve the system of land contract and deepen the reform of the collective property rights system in rural areas, guarantee the property rights and interests of farmers, and strengthen the collective economy.