To firmly grasp the master varieties in their own hands, we must aim at ensuring the stable and safe supply of food and important agricultural products, and pay close attention to cultivating excellent varieties with independent intellectual property rights, so as to achieve scientific and technological self-reliance in the seed industry and independent control of seed sources.
Every winter and spring, thousands of agricultural researchers from all over the country gather at the National Southern breeding Base for breeding and seed production. Year after year of hard work, perseverance rooted in the land, in the "Yu Xinqiao" unremitting research, a grain of good seeds were selected and bred, adding to our confidence and confidence to hold the Chinese rice bowl.
Small seeds can be used to great effect, and small crops can grow into big industries. High-quality green rice, dense and easy machine harvest corn, high-oil and high-yield soybeans, high-quality short-season cotton... Some time ago, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued a variety certification announcement, and the fifth National Crop Variety Certification Committee approved 1,304 new varieties of rice, corn, soybean and cotton. Judging from the approved varieties, the innovation of relevant crop varieties has made a series of new progress and new breakthroughs, and the promotion and application of these varieties will be conducive to continuously improving the yield and quality level of China's grain in large areas.
Seeds are the "chips" of agriculture. In recent years, the revitalization of the seed industry has been steadily promoted, and a number of landmark results and phased progress have been achieved. At present, the coverage rate of improved crop varieties in China is more than 96%, the contribution rate of improved crop varieties in agricultural output is more than 45%, and the area of independent breeding varieties accounts for more than 95%. Domestic seeds can basically meet domestic demand. At the same time, we should also see that in some varieties and fields, the gap between domestic seeds and the international advanced level is still relatively large. Only by accelerating the revitalization of the seed industry can we further consolidate the foundation of the seed industry for national food security.
The implementation of seed industry revitalization action, the core is innovation, the key is in the variety. To firmly grasp the master varieties in their own hands, we must aim at ensuring the stable and safe supply of food and important agricultural products, and pay close attention to cultivating excellent varieties with independent intellectual property rights, so as to achieve scientific and technological self-reliance in the seed industry and independent control of seed sources. For example, in 2023, we developed a short growth period of rapeseed "Zhongyouzao 1", the growth period only about 169 days, helping the southern region to implement "rice and rice oil" rotation, the use of idle winter fields to grow rapeseed. We will continue to promote innovation and research in the seed industry and cultivate more green, high-quality and high-yield "three good varieties" to meet the needs of the people for a better life and better use Chinese seeds to ensure China's food security.
From the point of view of breeding subjects, the proportion of enterprises' independent breeding or cooperative breeding varieties has increased significantly, and enterprises have become the main body of breeding innovation. Today, the dominant group of China's crop seed industry enterprises has been formed, the situation of many, small and scattered seed industry enterprises has been improved, and the national seed industry enterprise formation has been initially constructed by 69 crops, 86 livestock and poultry, 121 aquatic products and other leading enterprises. To further cultivate the seed industry and revitalize the backbone of enterprises, we may wish to promote the docking of formation enterprises with scientific research units, financial institutions, and seed industry bases, support the research of key core technologies and joint research on breeding, and strive to create carrier-type leading enterprises, hidden champions and specialized platform enterprises.
The seed industry includes variety breeding, seed propagation, promotion and sales, and other links. We should accelerate the revitalization of the seed industry, and improve the whole industrial chain of the modern seed industry. Today, some places use seeds as a starting point to provide local farmers with whole-process services; Some seed companies promote the order-type planting and sales model, which not only provides seeds for farmers, but also supports the purchase, storage, processing and other services of agricultural products. These beneficial explorations have inspired us to promote the integration of production, university, research and application, and the integration of breeding and popularizing, so that good seeds can benefit more farmers and drive the quality and efficiency of agriculture.
Seeds are the foundation of agricultural modernization. A good seed weighs a thousand jun. The Central Rural Work Conference held at the end of 2023 proposed: "Support the construction of agricultural science and technology innovation platforms, and accelerate the revitalization of the seed industry." Anchor the goal of building an agricultural power, start from cultivating good seeds, strengthen research on improved seed technology, and comprehensively improve the quality and efficiency of the seed industry and core competitiveness, along this direction, we have the confidence, ability, conditions, and confidence to "ensure that the Chinese people's rice bowl firmly in their own hands.
