Perspective of the Chinese style of calm under the international food crisis

Understand the "Chinese style calmness" under the international food crisis

- Successful response to international market fluctuations reflects China's food achievements

On October 1, the price of agricultural products in Chicago plummeted across the board. The corn market hit the biggest one-day drop since April this year. The wheat market continued to decline for the five trading days of the week, and the soybean market hit the largest one-week drop since August.

The bad in the capital market may be the real world. According to industry analysts, the soaring international food prices since June may have come to an end. After entering the adjustment, the world once again experienced the threat of rising food prices.

In the past four months, China, which has a population of 1.3 billion, has ample supply of staple food and stable prices. Following the successful implementation of the “World Grain Deficit, China is not alarmed” during the 2008 World Food Crisis, China continued to write a miracle again.

In the 90s of last century, American scholar Lester Brown once wrote an article to question "who will feed China." More than 10 years later, in the successive fluctuations in international food prices, China has responded calmly and its food achievements have been remarkable.

"Chinese style calm" answers "who will feed China"

From June to October this year, the prices of major grain varieties in China's retail market remained stable, slightly increased. Xinhua News Agency market price monitoring system shows that on October 2nd, China's retail market, glutinous rice, glutinous rice, special powder, standard powder price per catty was 2.07 yuan, 2.42 yuan, 2.03 yuan and 1.73 yuan, compared with June 2 The prices rose by 0.06 yuan, 0.12 yuan, 0.10 yuan, and 0.02 yuan respectively, which were up 10%-20% from the same period of last year.

During this period, the international food market fluctuates dramatically. As Russia announced on August 5th that it would stop exporting wheat, the Chicago Futures Exchange settled its soft red winter wheat in September, hitting a peak in 23 months, up 80% from June. The following day, European wheat prices also rose by 12%. Driven by this, the prices of international corn, rice and other food varieties all followed a round of gains.

The 2008 international food crisis is still fresh in memory. The frequent occurrence of extreme weather this year has caused the international food market to fluctuate again. In July, the wheat futures price on the Chicago Futures Exchange rose by 40% to the largest single-month increase in 50 years. Wheat prices in the European market have risen by nearly 50% since the end of June, marking the largest monthly increase in more than 30 years.

Affected by the severe high-temperature and drought weather, this year's world major grain exporters, such as Russia and Canada, have greatly reduced their output of crops in wheat-producing countries. Our country has also experienced low temperatures in the north, drought in the southwest, and floods in the north and south. The country’s summer grain output was reduced for the first time in seven years, and early rice production has declined. Coupled with the strong expectations of macroeconomic inflation, the prices of agricultural products have increased in turn.

In the face of "adversity and internal troubles," China's grain market is calm. Food experts generally believe that the world food crisis in 2008 has passed smoothly, and this year China's grain market can remain stable. As long as there are no major emergencies and natural disasters at home and abroad, in the foreseeable future, China's grain market supply will have reliable guarantees, and grain prices will continue to rise steadily under state regulation.

"Using less than 10% of the world's arable land to feed 22% of the world's population, this is a major contribution China has made to the world and reflects China's responsibility." said Yin Xiaojian, agricultural expert and Jiangxi Institute of Rural Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. , More than 10 years ago, American Brown once issued a question about who would feed China, triggering the speculation of the “China Food Threat Theory.” Looking at the fluctuations in international food prices twice in a row, China has solved the food problem of more than a billion people and responded to the world with practical actions: “China has the ability to feed China on its own.”

95% of food self-sufficiency rate reflects "Chinese style"

"China's nearly 40% of the foodstuffs' consumption ratio is far higher than the internationally recognized warning line of 17% to 18%." Xiong Xuehua, food issue expert and assistant to the president of the Southern Food Trading Market, said that this is a stable food market in China this year. Dinghai Shenzheng, China's self-sufficient food security strategy is extraordinary.

Relatively low benefits, farmers "abandoned wasteland" do not grow grain; tight financial resources, grassroots governments are not motivated and unable to "grip", this is the predicament of China's grain production, but also to make food production in the early 21st century slipped into the trough. To this end, the Chinese government is struggling to take measures to ensure food security.

Guide farmers to "grain". Since 2004, the “four taxes” and various additions have been abolished in addition to tobacco and leaf special agricultural products, agricultural taxes, etc. Each year farmers in the country have reduced their burdens by about 125 billion yuan, and the average per capita is 140 yuan; Increase. In 2009, the central government allocated four subsidies of 123.08 billion yuan, and full subsidies were provided for rice, wheat, corn, and cotton varieties.

Encourage local governments to “grab food”. In 2005, China introduced the policy of rewarding large grain-producing counties. In those years, financial incentives were implemented for more than 500 counties across the country. In 2009, more than 1,000 major grain-producing counties were awarded with a total funding of 17.5 billion yuan. The central government also improved the grain risk fund system, reduced the local counterpart funds for grain risk funds in major producing areas, increased transfer payments to major grain-producing areas, and established modern agricultural production development funds to support the grain industry.

Through hard work, China's grain broadcast area has increased year after year, and production has increased year after year. In 2009, China's grain broadcast surface was 1.635 billion mu, which was 144 million mu more than in 2003. The total grain output was 530.8 billion kg, an increase of 100.1 billion kg compared with 2003. Since 2004, the self-sufficiency rate of grain in our country has remained above 95%.

Since 2004, the country has also steadily raised the minimum purchase price of grain for years, providing a solid "firewall" for China's food prices to cope with international fluctuations. At present, China's grain prices have quietly changed from "international depressions" in 2008 to "international highlands."

Xiong Xuehua said that at the time of the world food crisis in 2008, the international food price was twice the price of domestic food. This year, the price situation of domestic and foreign grain markets is contrary to the situation in 2008. The prices of the three staple foods of rice, wheat, and corn in China are generally higher than those in 2008. International food prices have lowered the possibility of international price increases being transmitted to the country.

"Chinese-style Experience" Shows a New "Food Security Viewpoint"

Urbanization and industrialization continue to grow, and the population continues to increase. The trend of increasing demand for food, reduction of arable land, and shortage of fresh water resources will not change. The situation of China's food security has no near-term concern, but it still needs long-term consideration. Our country's experience in safeguarding food supply will need to continue in the future. As the world food situation fluctuates frequently, China’s experience has also provided the world with a new “food security perspective”.

- Between "industrial development" and "grain production", the "red line + bottom line" ensures that "there is food in the hands and there is no panic in the heart." Many countries have neglected agricultural production, especially grain production, in the process of advancing industrialization and urbanization. This is an important reason for the current world food crisis. Our country’s reform and opening up began with the efforts of the peasants in Xiaogang Village, Anhui, in pursuit of food and clothing, followed by great achievements in the process of industrialization and urbanization. However, the Party Central Committee and the State Council have always believed that agriculture is "the most important thing" and the "basis of the national economy". We must take measures to fundamentally realize that "there is food in the hands and there is no panic in the heart."

For a big country with a population of 1.3 billion, if there is a problem with food and agriculture, no one can help us. At present, the bottom line of 1.8 billion mu of cultivated land red line and 95% grain self-sufficiency has become a consensus. According to this line of thinking, China has implemented the responsibility system for the governors of rice bags, the most stringent farmland protection system in the world, and vigorously developed agricultural science and technology. Since 2004, the Central Government has issued seven No. 1 documents in succession, building a long-term mechanism for benefiting farmers and promoting grain in accordance with the strategy of "rejuvenating agriculture through agriculture and urban areas through townships" and the principle of "giving more, taking less, and demobilizing people".

- Between "energy security" and "grain security", we must insist that alternative energy "does not compete with people for food or land for food." Some countries use corn to produce ethanol gasoline, use rapeseed to produce fuel, and cars compete with people for food. This is another important reason for the world food crisis. On the one hand, it is energy security and on the other side food security. In the face of this new topic, China will solve it decisively and adhere to the principle of “do not compete with people for food and not compete with food” to develop bioenergy.

Since 2005, under the impetus of "requiring energy for corn" and "requiring benefits for processing," the fuel ethanol project in some places in Northeast China has been enthusiastic. Starting from the strategic height of food security, the state issued notifications at the end of 2006 to clean up and halt the grain energyization project. The dean of China’s Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ruan Huqu, said: “We must not hungry and drive our cars.” China’s grain cannot afford the “energyization”. If a lot of corn is used to solve energy problems, it will be a disaster.

- Between the "peasant money bag" and the "national grain bag", the idea of ​​"farmers planting food and the country buying safe" was created. "Gushen hurt farmers," and "Mi, expensive, and hurt people." The low food prices affect the income of grain farmers, and the high food prices make it difficult for consumers to bear. This is a difficult problem for the international agricultural product market, especially for grain control. Since 2004, China has implemented the minimum purchase price policy for key grain varieties. When the grain price in the market is lower than the minimum purchase price, the state entrusts the grain companies that meet certain qualification requirements to purchase the grain of the farmers at the lowest purchase price, successfully cracking this problem,

"Farmers grow grain, the country buys safety." Experts said that the implementation of policies such as the minimum purchase price not only protected farmers’ moneybags, but also protected the country’s grain bags. Over the past few years, the implementation scope of China's minimum purchase price policy has expanded from japonica rice to wheat, japonica rice and corn, continuously raising the minimum purchase price, which not only protects the interests of farmers, but also controls a large number of food sources, and has become an important guarantee for constantly responding to fluctuations in the grain market. .