The reform and buildup of grassroots agri-tech propagation system was deepened and grassroots agri-tech propagation personnel were stabilized. The system's public service capability was improved remarkably.
1) The reform and buildup of grassroots agri-tech propagation system was boosted in terms of organization and leadership. Authorities in 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) issued guidelines on the reform and buildup of grassroots agri-tech propagation system and established leading groups.
2) The management of the reform and buildup of grassroots agri-tech propagation system was innovated. In recent years, the provinces (autonomous regions) of Hebei, Anhui, Guizhou, Ningxia, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Hubei and Jilin took the improvement in the management of the reform and buildup of grassroots agri-tech propagation system as priority. They placed focus on the enhancement of administration by county-level departments in a bid to solve the problem of segmentation of management of personnel and management of work. New management methods were found.
3) The working mechanisms of agri-tech propagation were improved. The MoA promoted the working mechanism featuring links between technical instructors and villages and farmer households and a service model of "from experts to technicians to demonstration households". The mechanisms had been widely put into practice in demonstration counties across the country.
4) Personnel for agri-tech propagation were enhanced. More than 80,000 agricultural technicians at township and county levels in 800 demonstration counties received demonstrative training at institutions of higher learning. Nationwide, up to 400,000 grassroots agricultural technicians received training.
5) Investment in agri-tech propagation were increased. The central finances allocated special funds of 800 million yuan for demonstration counties for the reform and buildup of grassroots agri-tech propagation system, covering 800 major agricultural counties.
6) Experiments on condition building for township agri-tech propagation institutions were launched. The central finances allocated 200 million yuan for experiments on condition building for 815 township agri-tech propagation institutions that had almost completed reform in 176 counties of 14 provinces, representing a great breakthrough in central investment in capital construction for the development of township agri-tech propagation institutions. By the end of 2010, 2,120 counties (cities, districts) had completed the reform and buildup of grassroots agri-tech propagation system, 79.4% of the counties (cities, districts) that were obliged to do so.
