Agriculture Minister on the Weaknesses of China's Agro-technology

( 2012-March-12 09:47:12)

By staff reporter Wang Song

At a press briefing during the National People's Congress in Beijing, Agriculture Minister Han Changfu said that China's development of agro-technology is being stifled by three problems.

First, there is a lack of successful research projects comparable to the hybrid rice developed by Yuan Longping. The second problem is that the agro-technology is not spreading to its full potential due to a number of factors, such as lack of funding and sufficiently skilled workers, outdated facilities and inflexible mechanisms. Finally, training of agro-tech workers has to be stepped up to produce more professionals doing the research and also those promoting the practical application of research results.

"Now, almost all better-educated young rural laborers are heading to the cities to work. Who will tend China's farmlands? This is an issue we cannot overlook,?the minister warned.