By Mei Mei Chu
BEIJING (Reuters) – China on Friday launched a five-year action plan to accelerate the digital transformation of the entire agriculture industry chain as part of measures to raise domestic food production.
The 2024-2028 smart agriculture action plan will aim to establish a digital planting technology scheme as well as a national agricultural and rural big data platform by 2028, the agriculture ministry said in a statement.
The urgency to adopt big data, GPS navigation systems and artificial intelligence in farming comes as the world’s largest grains producer stepped up investments in farm machinery and seed technology in its quest for food security.
China’s grain output is set to exceed a record 700 million metric tons this year, Zhang Xingwang, the vice minister for agriculture and rural affairs told reporters in a news conference on Friday.
But he said efforts to ensure stable supply “cannot be relaxed” as the country remains highly reliant on imports to feed a population of 1.4 billion.
China imports over 100 million metric tons of soybeans and grains a year, particularly from United States and Brazil.
The digital transformation, which covers farms, animal husbandry and fisheries, is expected to help reduce costs, increase production and increase efficiency.
To accelerate yield increase, the ministry will accelerate the digital upgrade of agricultural machinery and equipment at farms.
The ministry added that it will continue to explore the future of smart agriculture by supporting research institutions and strengthening the research and development of agricultural technologies.
(Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Christina Fincher and David Evans)
