Achieving self-reliance in agricultural science and technology is at the center of China’s agricultural policy. A recent plan by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) outlines 10 critically important areas in which policymakers intend to make major breakthroughs by 2028. Covering fields such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), new crop varieties, and smart agricultural machinery, the plan aims to position China at the forefront of cutting-edge agricultural technologies.
The plan highlights the following areas:
1. Breeding of new agricultural varieties
The goal is to cultivate high-yield, high-quality, and resilient crop varieties and animal breeds with independent intellectual property rights, reducing China’s reliance on foreign seed sources.
Research priorities:
- Collection, identification, and storage of germplasm resources
- Development of independent gene-editing tools
- AI-driven breeding models and plant phenotyping
2. Farmland quality
A comprehensive technology system will support soil protection, fertility restoration, and carbon sequestration, with a special focus on black soils and saline-alkali land.
Research priorities:
- Rapid soil testing technologies, digital soil mapping, and integrated monitoring
- Biodegradable mulch and organic fertilizers
- Precision pest and nutrient management
3. Agricultural machinery and equipment
Enhancing agricultural mechanization, particularly for hilly and mountainous regions, is a key objective. Given that over 40% of China’s arable land requires terracing and soil conservation techniques, the plan calls for specialized machinery suited to these conditions.
Research priorities:
- Integration of Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and AI into agricultural equipment
- Precision technologies for seeding, irrigation, and harvesting
4. Pest and disease control for crops
The plan seeks to strengthen crop disease monitoring, develop eco-friendly pesticides, and establish an integrated pest management system.
Research priorities:
- Plant-microbe-pest interactions
- AI-based large-scale pest monitoring and early warning systems
- Biological pest control, plant immunity, pheromone-based control, and gene-silencing RNA pesticides
- Smart pest identification and precision pesticide application
5. Disease prevention and control in livestock and aquaculture
Research will focus on improving understanding of animal disease transmission, developing innovative vaccines, and enhancing biosecurity measures to ensure a stable supply of meat, eggs, and dairy.
Research priorities:
- Animal disease epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance, and host-pathogen interactions
- AI-driven disease risk assessment and early warning systems
- Precision vaccine design, rapid disease diagnostics, and new veterinary drugs
6. Enhancing productivity in crop and livestock production
The plan aims to improve per-unit yields for staple crops and promote intensive, efficient livestock and aquaculture farming while ensuring sustainability and competitiveness.
Research priorities:
- Physiological and ecological mechanisms of crop yield and quality
- Precision irrigation and fertilizer application for eco-friendly farming
- High-conversion feedstuffs, including non-grain feed resources
- Green, low-carbon, and resource-efficient livestock farming systems
7. Climate-resilient agriculture
In response to climate change, the plan promotes the development of sustainable and circular agricultural production systems.
Research priorities:
- Carbon footprint and greenhouse gas assessment methodologies
- Carbon sequestration through straw incorporation, biomass energy, and manure recycling
- Climate-smart technologies to reduce agricultural emissions
8. Food processing and manufacturing
New initiatives aim to strengthen agricultural supply chain resilience and develop emerging food industries.
Research priorities:
- Intelligent sensing technologies for post-harvest monitoring
- New techniques for freshness preservation and loss reduction in storage and transport
- AI, microbiomics, and material science applications in food innovation
9. Agricultural product quality and safety
With increasingly complex supply chains, the plan seeks to enhance food safety and nutritional quality.
Research priorities:
- Advanced screening technologies for contaminants, toxins, allergens, and harmful metabolites
- Improved monitoring and traceability systems
- Nutritional profiles of alternative proteins and novel food sources
- Rapid detection systems for food safety hazar
10. Rural development
The plan supports rural modernization through improved infrastructure, waste management, and digital governance.
Research priorities:
- Development of specialty agricultural industries
- Waste treatment and resource recovery technologies
- Low-carbon, ecological village models
- Digital governance for rural administration, cultural preservation, and agritourism
Assessment
The plan underscores agriculture’s role as a strategic sector in international technological competition. Its farm-to-plate approach promotes innovation throughout the agricultural value chain, with a strong emphasis on biotechnology (e.g., gene editing, synthetic biology). This indicates that the shift towards a more open stance on molecular technologies such as gene editing will continue as the nation banks on developing new high-yield and resistant varieties for its food security.
The plan also has a strong focus on digital technologies (e.g., AI, big data, smart monitoring). Integrating digital tools into areas such as breeding, crop and livestock production, as well as machinery development is hoped to make agriculture not only more efficient but also greener by using resources more efficiently.
The plan creates opportunities for German agricultural research institutes, agritech firms, and policymakers to collaborate with China in areas like climate adaptation, digital agriculture, and food safety. In addition, Germany’s strong agricultural machinery sector could benefit from China’s focus on mechanization, particularly in hilly and mountainous regions where specialized equipment is needed.
The plan also underscores the need for dialogue on regulatory frameworks. As China increasingly opens up to biotechnology and gene editing, discussions around regulations, ethics, and risk assessment will become crucial. Similarly, China’s ambitions to develop carbon footprint and greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment methodologies—an area where Germany and the EU have established expertise—will warrant closer exchange to ensure alignment.
Source
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (2024, November 5). 全国农业科技创新重点领域（2024–2028年）[Key areas of agricultural science and technology innovation in China (2024–2028)]. Retrieved from https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202502/content_7003703.htm.
