In 2014, the Ministry of Commerce sincerely implemented the Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Comprehensively Deepening Rural Reform and Speeding up Agricultural Modernization, integrated and took advantages of both international and domestic markets and resources, vigorously promoted the construction of the market system of agricultural products and rural areas, strengthened guidance to the “going out” of agriculture, made full use of the existing bilateral agricultural cooperation mechanism, and actively played the guidance and bridge role of the agricultural technological demonstration centers of foreign aid, promoted the circulation of agricultural products in domestic and foreign markets and increased farmers’ income, and drove rural consumption. In 2014, export and import of agricultural products reached US$ 192.8 billion, and total rural retail sales of consumer goods amounted to US$ 3,602.7 billion, and the per capita disposable income of farmers reached 10,489 yuan, all hit the record high.
I. The Ministry of Commerce promoted the establishment of a stable trade relation of agricultural products.
The Ministry of Commerce continuously optimized the regulatory mechanism of agricultural products and promoted the establishment of a stable and reliable international trade relation of agricultural products. Firstly, classified guidance of the main import agricultural products was carried out and import and export regulatory work of bulk agricultural products was done, so as to guarantee domestic market supply. Secondly, we broadened import channels, strengthened trade cooperation and communication on agricultural products with Thailand, Cambodia and Argentina, and encouraged enterprises to establish a direct and stable trade relation. The China-Australia FTA negotiations were officially completed, which exploited the establishment of a closer and more stable trade partnership with agriculture-advanced countries, so as to provide beneficial supplement to China’s scarce agricultural resources. Thirdly, we strengthened public information service, reinforced import monitoring of bulk agricultural products at the same time when doing a good job in export information service of agricultural products, and released warning information timely, so as to enhance the level of public information service. We released market information of agricultural products and import information of bulk agricultural products regularly to guide the enterprises to arrange import reasonably and reduce operation risks. Fourthly, we launched the storage work of 145,000 tons of domestic frozen pork, storing 20,000 tons of domestic beef and mutton, and adjusted the temporary sugar storage policy to the policy of supporting sugar enterprises to store domestic sugar temporarily, stabilizing the production and operation of the industries. Fifthly, according to the general thought of the central government on the reform of the target price system of agricultural products, and coordinating with the National Development and Reform Commission, we actively carried out the reform of the market control mechanism of agricultural products, optimized the pricing mechanism of major agricultural products, and promoted the target price pilot work of cotton and soybeans with progress, and exploited new thoughts for strengthening support and protection to agriculture and optimizing agricultural subsidy policies.
II. Construction of the backbone network of agricultural products circulation was advanced.
Together with 13 departments including the National Development and Reform Commission, we introduced the Guidance Opinions on Further Strengthening the Construction of Agricultural Products Market System, and clarified the guidance thoughts, basic principles, development goals and main tasks of the construction of agricultural products market system in 5-10 years, in order to speed up the construction of a high-speed, unblocked, safe, standardized, competitive and orderly agricultural products market system.
Firstly, we carried out the construction of the pilot agricultural products wholesale markets for public welfare in 10 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, established and optimized the investment and guarantee mechanism, operation management mechanism and market supervision mechanism. Through the driving of government capital, both government and social capital are involved in the construction of the agricultural products wholesale markets for public welfare, and construction of public service facilities like cold chains, processing and distribution, inspection and detection, and waste disposal were especially supported, in order to play the demonstration role in public functions like ensuring market supply, stabilizing market operation, promoting food safety and driving environment protection. Secondly, we constructed the trans-regional agricultural products circulation infrastructure in six main producting provinces of agricultural products, and especially supported the construction of agricultural products cold chain logistics centers which have the ability of centralized purchasing and trans-regional delivery, comprehensive processing and delivery centers and producing area delivery centers, and constructed trans-regional production and sales connecting systems, playing a comprehensive demonstration role in reducing circulation links, reducing circulation cost and promoting circulation innovation.
III. Steady development of e-commerce in rural areas was promoted.
Firstly, we carried out the comprehensive demonstration of e-commerce in rural areas in 56 counties in eight provinces, established supporting service systems that adapted to the development demands of rural e-commerce and developed logistic delivery service coordinating with electronic transaction, online shopping and online payment. We supported the application of e-commerce in the both way circulation network of manufactured products going to the countryside and agricultural products going to urban areas, and also supported unemployed youth and college graduates to start e-commerce enterprises or online sale in rural areas. We also supported the information reform of rural commercial points and optimized the service functions including online shopping, payment, electronic clearing and picking or delivering products. Secondly, we promoted the optimization of the information management system of agricultural product wholesale markets, publicized electronic clearing systems, supported the construction of e-commerce platforms of the agricultural products wholesale markets and promoted the upgrading of the information reform. And we supported agricultural wholesale markets and leading enterprises to construct online transaction markets of agricultural products. Thirdly, we opened commercial information and public service platforms of agricultural products, and introduced large chain supermarkets and wholesale markets as the purchasing agents to broaden sales channels and realize the normalization matchmaking of online purchase and sales of agricultural products. We also integrated the automobile matchmaking platforms of production and sales of agricultural products with the national commercial information and public service platform of agricultural products, and established the warning and assistance mechanisms of agricultural products. We optimized the compilation method of market price index of edible agricultural products to play the role of information guidance.
IV. Rural market order was standardized.
The Ministry of Commerce, playing the role of planning and coordination and organizing the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Industry and Information and the Forestry Bureau, continuously cracked down on fake products of agricultural means of production, pesticides, seeds, fertilizer and forestry germchit, and strengthened supervision on the direct selling of agricultural means production. Together with the Ministry of Commerce, we launched the 7-month special action on cracking down on counterfeit and fake products in rural and rural-urban continuum markets, to purify the rural market. Recently, around the centralized consumption of the New Year’s Day and the Spring Festival, we strengthened law enforcement of the front line, increased patrol and polling, carried out joint enforcement and inspection, investigated producing and selling fake and counterfeit products to ensure the safety of the festival market.
