By LI Linxu

As part of efforts to leverage the role of standards in building an agricultural powerhouse, China has recently unveiled its standardization action plan for rural revitalization.

The plan was jointly released by three government bodies, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the Standardization Administration of China, while its implementation involves 33 government bodies, including the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

It has laid out a detailed roadmap for the standardization work for rural revitalization over the next three years.

By 2025, a standards system for the high-quality development of agriculture and rural areas, as well as a market-oriented promotion service system integrated with public welfare, will have been basically established, according to the plan.

It pledges to formulate or revise more than 1,000 national and industry standards of the agriculture sector, and their degree of consistency with relevant international standards will be markedly advanced.

30 standard systems for the whole industrial chain of modern agriculture are expected to be formed, while the penetration rate of agricultural production standards will be greatly elevated.

Meanwhile, 100 national demonstration zones for agriculture standardization, and 300 national demonstration zones for the standardization of the whole chain of modern agriculture are proposed to be built.

A farmer checks the growth of paddy rice in Daoxian county of Yongzhou, Hunan Province, August 26. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

A series of key tasks have been put forward, such as ramping up standardization efforts to ensure food security, optimizing the quality safety standards for agricultural products, improving the standards for green agriculture development, and strengthening construction standards for rural housing and infrastructure.

Relevant ministries, local governments, social organizations, enterprises, and other stakeholders are urged to take part in the formulation of standards for the agriculture sector.

Great importance is attached to the spirit of innovation, opening-up and sharing in the plan, which vows to deepen international cooperation and advance the interconnection between domestic and international standards in the agriculture sector.