Key Work Priorities of the Department of Policy and Reform, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, 2020

2020 This year marks the year when the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects will be fully realized, the final year for decisively winning the battle against poverty, and a pivotal year for deeply implementing the rural revitalization strategy. The Policy Reform Department will be guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implementing the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Second, Third, and Fourth Plenary Sessions of the 19th Central Committee. It will fully carry out all deployment requirements outlined in the Central Economic Work Conference, the Central Rural Work Conference, the No. 1 Central Document, and the Ministry’s own No. 1 Document. Under the strong leadership of the Ministry’s Party Leadership Group, the department will remain firmly focused on winning the battle against poverty and achieving the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. It will prioritize key tasks, ensure effective implementation, and steadily advance reforms and management of rural contracted land, deepen institutional reforms of rural collective property rights, and strengthen the development of a new agricultural business system. Additionally, it will enhance the construction and management of rural reform pilot zones, conduct in-depth research on major policy issues in agriculture and rural areas, and reinforce the institutional framework supporting agricultural and rural development. This effort aims to provide robust policy support and institutional safeguards for securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and successfully implementing the rural revitalization strategy.

1. Strengthening Management and Reform of Rural Contracted Land

Focusing primarily on properly managing the relationship between farmers and land, we will steadfastly uphold and improve the basic rural operating system, while concentrating on implementing “ Three Powers ” The dual-track system involves studying supporting policies to ensure a smooth transition when the second round of land contracts expires, guiding local areas in developing specific measures for contract extensions, standardizing the transfer of land management rights, promoting optimal allocation of rural land resources, and safeguarding farmers' rights and interests.

(1) Proceed cautiously with the second round of land contract extensions after expiration. 30-year pilot program. Urge all regions to further enhance awareness, strengthen organizational coordination across departments, and ensure that all necessary conditions for the pilot program are firmly in place. Drawing on the established mechanisms used in setting up offices responsible for confirming and registering contracted land rights, establish a dedicated task force for the extended contract pilot initiative, stepping up guidance and support for pilot areas. Intensify training and advisory services by conducting specialized workshops tailored to pilot regions, helping them refine their implementation plans and develop detailed guidelines and procedures for rolling out the extended contracts—ensuring the pilot program proceeds prudently and smoothly. At the same time, bolster risk management by guiding pilot areas to maintain strict confidentiality, refraining from external publicity or reporting, and establishing robust mechanisms for addressing critical issues and handling public grievances. Implement a tiered responsibility system to promptly and effectively resolve any concerns raised by local residents. Finally, systematically document and analyze the lessons learned from the pilot program, encouraging pilot regions to explore and develop replicable, scalable models for extending contracts based on their unique circumstances. Leveraging these pilot experiences, further refine supporting policies and provide targeted guidance to help localities craft practical, context-specific implementation strategies.

(II) Implement information-based construction for land contract management. Accelerate the issuance of regulations governing rural land contract data management, strengthening standardized oversight of these data. Initiate efforts to modernize land contract management through digitalization, fostering seamless connectivity among information platforms for land rights confirmation, registration, and certification. Encourage local areas to explore online implementation of various land contract management tasks. Furthermore, promote the widespread application of data by encouraging regions to leverage land rights confirmation outcomes in diverse areas such as land-use right-based financing guarantees, agricultural insurance, farm subsidies, crop rotation and fallow practices, and rural industry planning initiatives.

(III) Strengthen standardized management and services for land transfer activities. Effectively implement the *Rural Land Contract Law*, strengthen training and publicity efforts, and ensure that grassroots officials and farmers alike fully grasp its core principles. Provide guidance to local areas in establishing robust systems—rooted in the law—for screening qualifications, reviewing projects, and mitigating risks associated with industrial and commercial enterprises, as well as other forms of social capital, acquiring land management rights through land transfer mechanisms.

(4) Strengthen capacity building for mediation and arbitration of land contract management disputes. Further refine the arbitration system and encourage regions with suitable conditions to explore establishing a tiered evaluation system for arbitrators, in line with the "Rural Land Contract Arbitrator Agricultural Industry Vocational Skill Standards (Trial)." Continue strengthening standardized practices, including procedural, document-related, and venue guidelines. Additionally, establish and improve coordination mechanisms to foster closer communication and collaboration among local authorities, courts, judicial departments, and other relevant agencies, ensuring effective enforcement of arbitration outcomes, enhancing the recognition of arbitration awards, and bolstering the credibility of the arbitration process.

II. Deepen Reform of the Rural Collective Property Rights System

Accelerate the promotion of shareholding cooperative reforms for collectively-owned rural assets, strengthen management of rural collective assets, invigorate village-level economic development, expand and enhance the village-level collective economy, and continuously boost farmers' sense of gain and fulfillment.

(1) Strengthen rural collective asset management across the board. A national press conference and summary & exchange meeting on asset inventory and verification were held to thoroughly review the experiences and achievements of this initiative, outline clear strategies for strengthening collective asset management in the future, and recognize a group of outstanding collectives and individuals. Efforts are actively underway to advance the construction of a collective asset supervision and management platform, carefully aligning it with the practical demands of modernizing collective asset governance. The goal is to establish a comprehensive rural collective asset database that is user-friendly, efficient to manage, seamlessly integrated across levels, and accessible for inter-departmental collaboration. Additionally, localities are being guided to further enhance their systems for managing rural collective assets, ensuring robust frameworks that effectively oversee authority, operations, and personnel.

(II) Fully launch pilot programs for the reform of rural collective property rights systems. Existing organization The 15 pilot provinces that cover entire provinces should carry out thorough inspections and acceptance checks. Meanwhile, guidance will be provided to the 13 non-pilot provinces (excluding Beijing, Shanghai, and Zhejiang) to fully roll out the reform, ensuring that pilot tasks are completed on schedule. After the reform, efforts should focus on registering and assigning unique codes to collective economic organizations, as well as organizing, filing, and archiving relevant documents—thereby enhancing the institutionalization and standardization of the reform process. Additionally, local areas will be guided to effectively implement the "Notice on Further Strengthening Development and Enhancement Efforts in Poor Areas with Weak Collective Economies," exploring viable pathways to grow and strengthen collective economies, refining policy measures supporting collective economic development, and highlighting a group of exemplary models to fully leverage the pilot program's demonstration and ripple effects. Finally, relevant departments such as finance will be encouraged to study and formulate tax incentives specifically tailored for rural collective economic organizations.

(III) Actively promote the legislative process for collective economic organizations. Deeply engage in legislative research on rural collective economic organizations, focusing on key issues such as their fundamental characteristics, legal entity status, internal operational mechanisms, and preferential policies. Additionally, provide guidance to regions that meet the necessary conditions to pilot initiatives related to these organizations. Related Legislative exploration: Developing and issuing a model charter for rural collective economic organizations , guiding rural collective economic organizations to enhance the standardization of their operations.

(4) Strengthen the promotion and training of reform policies. Organize and coordinate units such as the Farmers' Daily, Rural Magazine, and the China Agricultural Film & Television Center to promote best practices and valuable experiences from the rural collective property rights system reform. Facilitate effective exchanges on the progress of this reform, launch a dedicated WeChat public account for the initiative, and ensure comprehensive policy explanations along with robust platforms for sharing practical insights and lessons learned. “ Online and offline ” Collaboration. We will carry out multi-level, multi-format training activities to effectively interpret central policies and strive to enhance the execution capabilities of grassroots cadres and the public.

3. Promoting High-Quality Development of Family Farms

Focusing primarily on effectively implementing the Family Farm Cultivation Program across regions, we will refine the management system for the family farm registry, provide guidance on establishing demonstration family farms and model family-farm-friendly counties at various levels, intensify efforts to highlight exemplary cases, strengthen demonstration-led initiatives, and ultimately drive high-quality development of family farms nationwide. This will accelerate the establishment of a modern agricultural management framework, fostering seamless integration between smallholder farmers and advanced, large-scale agricultural practices.

Focus efforts on system integration and collaborative efficiency, emphasizing institutional development as the central theme. Closely align with the two key tasks: deepening reform through exploration and systematically summarizing and refining the resulting achievements. Strive to leverage the leading, demonstration, and driving roles of rural reform pilot zones, ensuring seamless integration and mutual reinforcement among all pilot initiatives, and ultimately delivering tangible, impactful outcomes from these experiments. Through a comprehensive survey of several counties, townships, and selected pilot villages, we have gained a thorough understanding of the basic employment situation of rural labor in these typical areas—covering aspects such as out-migration employment, local job opportunities, migration potential, and *huifang chuangye* (returning to hometowns for entrepreneurship and employment). The analysis delves into the statistical scale, type distribution, and evolving trends of rural labor employment and entrepreneurship, while also identifying the underlying challenges they face. Based on this insight, we propose practical ideas and recommendations aimed at promoting high-quality employment opportunities for rural labor forces.

(II) Strengthen guidance for family farms. Continue to carry out the national campaign for collecting and promoting exemplary family farm cases. Provide guidance to local areas according to “ Voluntary declaration, selective recommendation, hierarchical review, and dynamic management ” Principally, we will launch the creation of model family farms. Where conditions permit, pilot programs for model family-farm counties can also be initiated, exploring policy frameworks and operational mechanisms to systematically advance the development of family farms. Additionally, we will guide local areas in effectively implementing central government-funded projects supporting family farms, while collaborating with the Department of Planning and Finance to finalize task lists and performance targets for each province.

(III) Conduct statistical monitoring and research on family farms. Continue conducting nationwide statistics and benchmark monitoring of family farms, strengthen the application of data and outcomes to better guide the development of family farms. Additionally, focus on addressing key theoretical and practical issues in family farm management through policy research, resulting in a series of valuable research findings.

(4) Effectively carry out work related to building a modern agricultural management system. Develop a High-Quality Development Plan for New Types of Agricultural Operators and Service Providers (2020–2022). Promote the implementation of documents related to smallholder farmers, following the "Opinions on Facilitating the Organic Integration of Smallholder Farmers with Modern Agriculture." > The "Division of Responsibilities within the Department for Policy Measures" calls for organizing and conducting tracking and monitoring of smallholder farmers' production and operations, as well as evaluating the implementation of relevant policies, to ensure that supporting measures are put in place promptly.

4. Strengthen the Construction of Rural Reform Pilot Zones

Focus efforts on system integration and collaborative efficiency, emphasizing institutional development as the central theme. Closely align with the two key tasks: deepening reform through exploration and systematically summarizing and refining resulting achievements. Strive to leverage the leading,示范, and driving roles of rural reform pilot zones, ensuring seamless integration and mutual reinforcement among all pilot initiatives, and ultimately delivering tangible, impactful outcomes from these experiments.

(1) Expand the scope of reform experiments. In 2020, a new batch of reform pilot tasks was rolled out and implemented, focusing on deepening exploration and practice in key and cutting-edge areas—while ensuring closed-loop operations and maintaining controllable risks. Localities were encouraged to independently pursue further reforms, fostering synergies among the various pilot initiatives and enabling them to spark meaningful "chemical reactions," thereby driving the systematic integration of reform efforts.

(II) Strengthen guidance for reform experiments. Filter Around 10 pilot zones with strong reform foundations, high levels of work enthusiasm, and robust capabilities will be selected. Experts will be mobilized to provide enhanced guidance, fostering collaborative team efforts. These zones will undergo comprehensive strategic planning, encouraging them to explore and implement more innovative, original, and differentiated reform initiatives. At the right time, a batch of targeted, policy-driven innovations—small in scope but delivering rapid results—will be introduced, helping to further mature and solidify systems across agriculture, rural areas, and related sectors.

(III) Strengthen the summarization and dissemination of achievements. Timely summarize replicable and scalable experiences, strengthen the organization and refinement of these outcomes, and systematically roll out the results in phases according to their maturity level—whether through formal documents, guidelines, or other appropriate formats. At the same time, accelerate the translation of pilot achievements that are widely applicable across the experimental zones into concrete policies. Additionally, identify and publicly share a selection of well-established, highly effective, and versatile reform trial cases at the right moment. Comprehensively promote these trials to ensure seamless integration of their outcomes, policies, and overall impacts, ultimately driving meaningful progress in the reform process.

(IV) Strengthen and refine the operational mechanisms of the pilot zone. Conduct a systematic evaluation of the pilot zone's operational mechanisms and their effectiveness, optimize the design of its operational processes and systems, standardize workflow procedures, and further refine the management mechanisms governing key aspects such as pilot zone approval, evaluation, assessment, acceptance, termination of experimental tasks, and exit strategies. This will provide a robust institutional framework to guide reform initiatives across departments and regions.

5. Strengthen Research on Agricultural and Rural Reform Policies

Conduct focused research on issues such as food security, rural labor employment, and farmers' income growth, and select several key rural reform topics for in-depth investigation.

(1) Strengthen research on agricultural and rural policies. Conduct research on issues and policies related to ensuring food security, Analyze China's fundamental food security situation, the evolving costs and returns in grain production, as well as their underlying drivers; examine progress and future prospects in optimizing the structure of grain products and production layouts; assess the effectiveness of policies supporting the grain industry; and explore strategic options for ensuring food security. Based on this analysis, propose ideas and recommendations aimed at strengthening China's capacity to guarantee a stable and sufficient food supply. Conducting research on the issue of increasing farmers' incomes after achieving a moderately prosperous society in all respects, Grounded in the goal of fully building a moderately prosperous society and oriented toward comprehensively advancing the construction of a modern socialist country, this study delves into how rural revitalization and integrated urban-rural development—driven by deeper reforms—are shaping new demands for farmers' income growth, opening up fresh opportunities, and presenting unprecedented challenges. Based on this analysis, the research proposes specific targets and tasks for boosting farmers' incomes, along with recommendations aimed at refining and enhancing the policy framework supporting sustainable income increases among rural populations. Conduct research on employment issues among rural labor forces. Through a comprehensive survey of several counties, townships, and selected pilot villages, we have gained a thorough understanding of the basic employment situation of rural labor in these typical areas—covering aspects such as out-migration employment, local job opportunities, migration potential, and返乡创业 (returning to hometowns for entrepreneurship and employment). The analysis delves into the statistical scale, type distribution, and evolving trends of rural labor employment and entrepreneurship, while also identifying the underlying challenges they face. Based on this insight, we propose practical ideas and recommendations aimed at promoting high-quality employment opportunities for rural labor forces.

(II) Strengthen research on major rural reforms. Focusing on key issues such as developing new forms of rural collective economy, improving the rural land system, advancing inclusive rural financial reforms, strengthening the agricultural producer subsidy framework, and establishing mechanisms to attract talent to rural areas—these are central to promoting institutional development in the agriculture and rural sectors. 1 — 2 Conduct research and propose policy recommendations for deepening reform. Compile and publish a publication featuring four thematic sections: reforms and management of rural contracted land, institutional reforms of rural collective property rights, the development of family farms, and the establishment of rural reform pilot zones. “ Rural Reform Series Blue Book ” Analyze and assess the trends in agricultural and rural reform, summarize practical experiences from these reforms, distill key theoretical insights, and share successful reform strategies. Continue strengthening the monitoring and surveying of farmers' income and employment through the established rural fixed observation points, while also organizing timely ad-hoc policy research initiatives as needed. Additionally, ensure the effective publication of "Policy & Reform Reference" and "Rural Reform Dynamics," draft comprehensive reports, and actively collaborate on initiatives related to new urbanization, household registration system reform, and employment/entrepreneurship support. Finally, fulfill the responsibilities of the Ministry's Reform Office by systematically integrating both the reform tasks already assigned to our ministry since the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee—and now further expanded with new directives from the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee—into our ongoing work agenda, ensuring coordinated progress and seamless implementation across all fronts.

6. Strengthen organizational support with a focus.

We will strengthen and refine systems related to personnel management, labor relations, Party and public affairs administration, government affairs finance, and integrity-building initiatives, establishing a robust mechanism that relies on institutional frameworks to manage both tasks and people. Additionally, we will enhance performance management, reinforce supervision and follow-up processes, and improve the management of critical records—such as documents approved by central and ministerial leaders—including systematic tracking, categorized oversight, and timely feedback mechanisms. Furthermore, we will optimize existing systems like departmental meetings, director-general meetings, special-topic conferences, and biweekly regular meetings, ensuring regular updates on work progress and fostering collective deliberation on significant issues. Finally, we will strengthen accountability in Party governance, intensify efforts to uphold discipline and promote sound conduct, bolster measures to prevent廉政 risks, rigorously enforce the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations, and continuously advance these initiatives.

(1) Strengthen Party building. Firmly establish “ Four Consciousnesses ” , steadfast “ Four Confidences ” , do it well “ The Two Upholdings ” Taking the implementation of the Rural Revitalization Strategy as the overarching approach, we will focus on winning the battle against poverty and fully building a moderately prosperous society, while comprehensively enhancing both our ideological and theoretical understanding and our professional capabilities. Regular theoretical study sessions for core groups will be held, and ongoing initiatives will continue to be carried out. “ Agricultural Policy Semi-Monthly Discussions ” Learning activities to enhance theoretical and professional studies. Strictly implement “ Three Meetings and One Lesson ” The organization regularly holds themed Party Day activities and ensures party membership fees are paid in full each month. It also actively engages in collaborative initiatives with the Xiaogang Village Party organization and strengthens its paired-support efforts for Guangtiao Village in Guizhou Province. Additionally, it provides guidance to the Youth League, Women's Union, and trade unions in organizing a wide range of vibrant and engaging activities.

(II) Strengthen team development. Focus on building a strong team by emphasizing political standards, cultivating a cadre that is politically astute, professionally proficient, and ready to take responsibility. Develop a robust and capable leadership team, strengthen mechanisms for collective decision-making and clear division of responsibilities, and channel primary energy into implementing the decisions and directives of the Party Leadership Group. At the same time, actively engage all departmental staff in proactively addressing and effectively managing key priorities. “ Mentorship and Guidance ” , inspiring young cadres to strive for excellence. For urgent, comprehensive tasks, we will mobilize dedicated teams to focus on tackling challenges head-on, ensuring the high-quality completion of tasks assigned by the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry.

(III) Strengthen institutional development. We will strengthen and refine systems related to personnel management, labor relations, Party and public affairs administration, government affairs finance, and integrity-building initiatives, establishing a robust mechanism that relies on institutional frameworks to manage both tasks and people. Additionally, we will enhance performance management, reinforce supervision and follow-up processes, and improve the management of critical records—such as documents approved by central and ministerial leaders—including systematic tracking, categorized oversight, and timely feedback mechanisms. Furthermore, we will optimize existing systems like departmental meetings, director-general meetings, special-topic conferences, and biweekly regular meetings, ensuring regular updates on work progress and fostering collective deliberation on significant issues. Finally, we will strengthen accountability in Party governance, intensify efforts to uphold discipline and promote sound conduct, bolster measures to prevent廉政 risks, rigorously enforce the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations, and continuously advance these initiatives. “ Four Winds ” Self-inspection and self-correction of issues. Handle petitioning matters in accordance with the law and regulations.

(4) Strengthen system development. Enhance the communication and coordination mechanisms with local agriculture and rural affairs departments, ensuring effective implementation of agricultural and rural policies and reform tasks across regions. Hold a national conference on agricultural and rural policy and reform systems to review achievements, outline annual priorities, and strengthen the exchange of critical information and best practices. Conduct phased, tiered training programs for grassroots-level officials, focusing on key areas of expertise, to elevate their policy knowledge and professional skills. Further solidify collaborative partnerships with institutions like the Agricultural Research Center and reinforce business guidance for relevant social organizations.