2018年CRI 中国进一步推动互联网+农业发展

（单词翻译）

Qu Dongyu, Vice¹ Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, says the e-commerce sector² is already booming in rural areas thanks to the "Internet Plus Agriculture" model.

"By the end of 2017, 756 counties across the country have become models for conducting e-commerce in rural areas. In 2017, online retail³ sales in rural areas totaled 1.25 trillion yuan, or nearly 190 billion U.S. dollars, of which sales of agricultural products approached 300 billion yuan. More than 28 million jobs were created as a result."

The official says one of the top priorities is to use information technology in the distribution of agricultural products.

"A guideline will be released on widening the agricultural products' circulation, and issues of connecting the production and marketing⁴ process will also be solved. We will take measures to ensure that agricultural products are safe and of high quality. Support facilities such as processing, packaging, storage, preservation⁵ and cold chain logistics will be strengthened to try to improve the farm produce's marketability and resolve the underpricing of quality products."

Information technologies, including big data, the Internet of Things and cloud computing⁶, will be harnessed to try to create more efficient, digitized and smart agricultural production.

Internet infrastructure⁷ in rural areas will also be improved, and agriculture-related public information and service platforms will be established as well.

Farmers will also receive training on how to better use information technology, with authorities saying their smart phones can become their new farm implements⁸.

Zong Jinyao, chief of agricultural product processing with the Ministry⁹ of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, says agriculture and other rural industries will be developed in an integrated way.

"Focusing on developing modern agriculture, the primary, secondary and tertiary industries in an integrated way, we will encourage the development of planting, breeding, processing, circulation, tourism, e-commerce, medical care, and health preserving industries, building an industrial system to make those industries thriving in rural areas."

To that end, private companies are also going to be given incentives¹⁰ to develop new internet-based business models which benefit farmers.

This may also include the encouragement of mass entrepreneurship and innovation in rural areas through more specific programs.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.