NEWS CENTER

On 7 May, the Ministry of Agriculture held a national conference on cross-area operation of agricultural machinery in Zhengzhou. Ministry of Agriculture Agricultural Mechanisation Management Division Director Zong Jinyao, Deputy Director Liu Hengxin attended the conference and delivered a speech.

The General Assembly put forward in 2009 "three summers" wheat harvesting work across the region target: into the combine harvester 440,000 units, an increase of 20,000 units over the previous year, to participate in the inter-area machine harvesting of 280,000 units; the level of wheat harvesting to reach 83 per cent, an increase of 1 percentage point over the previous year.

Zong Jinyao in his speech, agricultural machinery across the region for the solution of a family of small-scale production and mechanisation of large-scale operation of the contradiction between found an important way. Through inter-area operations, improve the utilisation rate of agricultural machinery, solving the problem of "organic households organic no work to do, no machine households have work no machine to do". In recent years, China's more than a dozen major grain-producing provinces organise hundreds of thousands of combine harvesters every year to fight in the north and south of the Yangtze River, the combine harvester annual operating time increased from 10-15 days to 1-2 months, combine harvester ownership by the beginning of the beginning of the inter-area operation in 1997, 141,000 units increased to 710,000 units in 2008. The level of wheat machine harvesting increased from 54% in 1997 to 82% in 2008, basically realising the mechanisation of wheat production.

Zong Jinyao stressed that whether wheat can be returned to the warehouse, machine harvesting is a key. Agricultural machinery management departments at all levels to closely around the wheat harvest 83% of the target, will be "three summers" wheat across the region as the centre of the work of machine harvesting, and effectively achieve the summer grain a day to hand, the work of a day does not relax. Everywhere to focus on the implementation of good agricultural equipment purchase subsidies, agricultural operations related to fee and tax exemptions and free passage across the operation of the preferential policies to ensure that the machine into operation on schedule; to focus on improving the level of operation organisation, to achieve a clear operating area, service radius is moderate, the service object of a stable, reasonable operating income.

It is understood that in 2008 China's agricultural mechanisation production work has made remarkable achievements. Agricultural mechanisation authorities at all levels withstood the low-temperature rain, snow and ice and the Wenchuan earthquake and other natural disasters, to cope with the serious tension in the supply of diesel fuel, agricultural machinery, such as high operating prices and other unfavourable factors of the impact of the total amount of inputs of agricultural machinery, the area of operation, the level of mechanisation of the operation have hit a new record high. Inter-area machine harvesting to reduce grain losses of 5.1 billion pounds, increasing the income of 4.5 billion yuan, increasing revenue and saving a total of 19.2 billion yuan, an increase of 2 billion yuan over the previous year, for increased grain production, agricultural efficiency and farmers to increase income has made a positive contribution.

The meeting analysed five favourable conditions for this year's cross-area machine harvesting operations:

First, the social environment is good. The central financial arrangements for the "three rural" investment of 716.1 billion yuan, an increase of 120.6 billion yuan over last year. Substantial increase in subsidies for the purchase of agricultural machinery, increase the minimum purchase price of grain, for agricultural machinery across the region to create a favourable environment.

Secondly, the level of agricultural machinery and equipment has been greatly improved. With the State 13 billion subsidies for the purchase of machinery issued one after another, the majority of farmers to buy machinery enthusiasm, agricultural machinery industry production and sales boom. At present, the country has implemented 6.16 billion yuan of subsidies to farmers, subsidised machinery more than 1.32 million units, benefiting 1.22 million households, driving local financial input of 1.6 billion yuan. The implementation of 68.6% of the subsidy funds for the purchase of large and medium-sized tractors, corn combine harvesters, rice transplanters, grain harvesting machinery, agricultural machinery and equipment structure to further optimise.

Thirdly, farmers' investment in machinery and income is expected to be positive. According to the Ministry of Agriculture survey shows that this year, the market demand for cross-area harvesting operations is still relatively strong, is expected to invest in the wheat combine harvester, to participate in the wheat cross-area operations of the combine are more than the previous year.

Fourth, the oil supply is expected to be good. This year, the state implemented the reform of refined oil prices and taxes, the cancellation of road maintenance fees, the gradual and orderly cancellation of the government repayment of secondary roads and other charges, reducing the cost of agricultural machinery across the operation. On the whole, the "three summers" during the oil prices will not appear soaring, supply tension.

Fifth, cross-area operations are well prepared. Each region attaches great importance to early planning, early deployment, early implementation. The Ministry of Agriculture printed 300,000 "combine harvester rice transplanter cross-area operation certificate", has been issued free of charge to the hands of the driver. Provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have also analysed and predicted the problems that may arise in this year's cross-area operation, and have formulated active countermeasures.

The meeting also analysed the potential unfavourable factors affecting this year's cross-area machine harvesting operations:

Firstly, the influence of weather on crop maturity time is still uncertain, bringing difficulties to the orderly transfer of harvesters.

Secondly, this year's rice, wheat and maize yields are lower than the previous year, making it more difficult for farmers to increase their incomes, which will have an impact on increasing farmers' demand for machines.

Third, in the situation of five consecutive years of increased production and income, relaxation of food and agricultural production tendency has appeared, some local governments and departments will reduce the importance of agricultural machinery across the region;.

Fourth, due to the increase in the number of machines into operation, it is inevitable that the operation of the price of disorderly competition and the phenomenon of local protection, and even the weather, will also lead to a certain period of time in some areas of the machine harvesting operation of the supply and demand is out of line.

Liu Hengxin asked in his speech, around the "three summers" as the focus, focusing on making good preparations, the implementation of relevant policies, to carry out information guidance, improve the degree of organisation, and actively coordinate and cooperate, standardise the operation market, promote applicable technology, expand the news and publicity on the efforts to ensure that the summer farm machinery across the region to achieve the goal.

During the meeting, the Ministry of Agriculture Agricultural Mechanisation Management Division and Foton Leiwo International Heavy Industry Company on the "three summers" cross-area operation information service cooperation held a signing ceremony; Henan, Hubei, Shandong Province Agricultural Machinery Management Department made a typical experience exchange speech.