China achieves steady progress in agricultural green development: report

BEIJING -- The level of green development in China's agricultural sector has steadily improved from 2022 to 2023, according to a report released by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and China Agricultural Green Development Research Society on Saturday.

Releasing the report, Ye Yujiang, vice-president of CAAS, said that China has continuously promoted the comprehensive, multi-dimensional transformation in the direction of green agriculture, with effective support from technological innovation.

The level of conservation and utilization of agricultural resources in China continues to improve, as efforts to promote green development in agriculture are being carried out through pilot demonstrations. The emergence of new agricultural entities has become a driving force for the transition towards sustainability, according to the report.

With a focus on reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, comprehensive utilization of crop straw, resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure, and the reduction and recycling of plastic film, China has been consistently carrying out the protection and management of agricultural environments. The total amount of chemical fertilizers used in the country maintained a downward trend for seven consecutive years, said the report.

China's supply capacity of high-quality green agricultural products continues to improve. By the end of 2023, the country had established standardized production bases for green food raw materials covering approximately 177 million mu (11.8 million hectares). The qualified rate of routine monitoring on the quality and safety of agricultural products nationwide reached 97.8 percent throughout the year, according to the report.

The incomes of Chinese farmers continue to rise, with the per capita disposable income of rural residents reaching 21,691 yuan (about $3,059) in 2023, a 7.6 percent increase from the previous year, surpassing the urban residents' actual growth rate by 2.8 percentage points, the report said.