On October 14, the State Council Information Office held a press conference. At the conference, a relevant official from the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration stated that the “Two Heavy” and “Two New” policies have provided significant support for the development of the grain industry.

Qian Yi, Deputy Director of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, introduced that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the grain industry is showing a new trend of high-quality development. The main characteristics can be summarized as simultaneous progress in scale and efficiency, coupled with innovative and effective policy support and implementation mechanisms.

Since 2021, the Ministry of Finance and the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration have been vigorously promoting the High-Quality Grain Project, implementing six major enhancement initiatives: green grain storage, variety-quality-brand development, quality traceability, mechanical equipment upgrades, emergency preparedness capabilities, and initiatives to reduce waste and promote healthy consumption. As of the end of September this year, local authorities have allocated fiscal funds totaling 46.2 billion yuan, leveraging over 84 billion yuan in social investment and implementing more than 8,400 projects. They have also formulated 286 group and local standards for high-quality grains, driving and guiding the development of 897 premium enterprise brands. The level of development in the grain industry has steadily improved, presenting a vibrant scenario characterized by leading enterprises setting exemplary standards and inspiring widespread competition and growth among a broad range of businesses.

Press conference venue (Image source: China News Service)

“Since the beginning of this year, the platforms and approaches for promoting high-quality development of the grain industry have become richer and more effective,” said Qian Yi. The Ministry of Finance and the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration have launched a project aimed at enhancing the quality and efficiency of grain circulation. The project focuses primarily on major grain-producing counties in key production areas, providing support to localities in addressing shortcomings and weak links in grain circulation by concentrating on areas such as grain logistics, processing, brand building, loss reduction, and post-harvest services, thereby strengthening the grain industry’s economic base at the county level. This year, the first batch of projects supports over 270 initiatives in 40 major grain-producing counties, leveraging total investments nearing 10 billion yuan. Meanwhile, the “Two Heavy” and “Two New” policies have provided significant support for the development of the grain industry. Grain storage and logistics infrastructure projects are being implemented in depth, playing a crucial role in improving storage conditions and boosting the efficiency of grain logistics. Positive progress has also been made in upgrading grain and oil processing equipment. Utilizing funds from ultra-long-term special government bonds, the focus is on supporting the introduction and application of new equipment in areas such as finished grain and oil products, staple food, feed processing, deep grain processing, and comprehensive utilization of by-products. All projects supported in 2025 have now entered the implementation phase. Furthermore, efforts are underway to include grain machinery—including grain dryers, color sorters, and milling machines—within the scope of agricultural machinery scrapping and renewal subsidies. Several provinces have already expanded the subsidy coverage to include locally distinctive grain machinery equipment.

Qian Yi stated that the launch and implementation of the project to improve the quality and efficiency of grain circulation, coupled with the effective implementation of the “Two Heavy” and “Two New” policies in the grain sector, are creating new opportunities for the transformation and upgrading of the grain industry, further bolstering confidence and momentum in promoting high-quality development of the grain sector, driven by a series of favorable policies aimed at benefiting farmers and boosting grain production.