To implement the law on agricultural technology popularization and other CPC Central Committee documents, and to advance the reform and construction of grassroots agricultural technology popularization, in 2014, the central government allocated 2.6 billion yuan to 37 provincial units, including 31 provinces (autonomous regions, or municipalities), three cities, two reclamation areas directed under the MoA and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. In 2014, provincial governments organized 15,600 experts to participate in the technology popularization, selected 187,214 technical instructors, constructed 6,970 science and technology demonstration bases, and trained 1.84 million demonstration households, which brought along 23.5 million nearby households, and 4.92 million grassroots technology promoters. Some 240,000 online agricultural technology bookstores were established in 2,200 counties. 3 909 major varieties and 3,176 major technologies were released, reaching 95 percent of all farm households. These measures contributed greatly to China's agriculture development and the increase of farmers' income.
1. Main Measures
(1) Efforts were taken to enhance organizational management. Provincial agricultural governments strengthened their guidance on constructing the technology popularization system, coordinated crop farming, animal husbandry, aquaculture, agricultural machinery and other agricultural industries, and unified project implementation, personnel training, fund use, information report, supervision report, and award and punishment. The evaluation criteria of technology promoters were based on the home service rate, technology arriving rate and farmers' satisfaction level. The evaluation results would decide whether the employment would continue, and affect job promotion. Prefectural agricultural departments issued standard technology promotion brochures, promoter badges and doorplates for demonstration households and demonstration bases. Distribution maps of local leading producers and service divisions were created. These measures standardized the management of the agricultural technology popularization system.
(2) Team building was enhanced. Provincial governments considered the team building of agricultural technology promotions teams as an important task of technology popularization. The Anhui provincial government initiated a program to create job positions for agricultural technology popularization. A document was released to include the job-creation program into the "three supports and one assistance" program. The Jiangxi provincial government initiated a job-creation program for technology popularization, which focused on the cultivation of grassroots technology promoters. In 2014, 337 people were selected in Anhui to study in agricultural technical colleges. After graduation, they would go back to their hometowns to work for agricultural technology popularization. This program would ensure the sustainability of technology popularization.
(3) Efforts were taken to mobilize technology promoters.
The first approach was carrying out selections of "the best agricultural technology promoter." In order to stimulate promoters to be devoted to the cause of technology popularization, and build high quality promotion teams, local governments carried out selections of "the best agricultural technology promoter." According to statistics, 409 promoters were selected and honored in 10 provinces (autonomous regions, or municipalities) in 2014.
The second approach was organizing online study contests. In order to mobilize technology promoters to study on online agricultural technology bookstores, a total of nine provinces and autonomous regions, including Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Anhui, Fujian, Hunan, Guangxi Autonomous Region and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, collaborated with the Tongfang Knowledge Network to organize contests on agricultural knowledge contests. About 24 000 technology promoters and farmers participated in the contests and 700 won awards. Online agricultural technology trainings for technology promoters and farmers were conducted in 153 counties, which yielded great results.
2.Major Achievements By deepening the reform and construction of grassroots agricultural technology popularization system, the technology transfer from research to commercial product was accelerated, the transformation of agricultural production methods was advanced, food production grew continuously, and famers， income increased. In 2014, the technology demonstration rice grower households in Anhui province produced an average of 607.1 kg per mu (9,11 kg per hectare), which was 35.9 kg higher than the yield of rice growers learning from the demonstration households, and 84.1 kg higher than the yield of common rice growers. The technology demonstration rice grower households' average income per mu was 86.2 yuan higher than the income 0f rice growers learning from the demonstration households, and 201.84 yuan higher than the income of common rice growers. The technology demonstration wheat grower households produced an average of 395.5 kg per mu about 5,932.5 kg per hectare), which was 33.3 kg higher than the yield of wheat growers learning from the demonstration households, and 52.6 kg higher than the yield of common wheat growers. The technology demonstration wheat grower households' average income per mu was 75.5 yuan higher than the income of wheat growers learning from the demonstration households, and 119.2 yuan higher than the income of common wheat growers. In Guangxi Autonomous Region, programs were carried out to introduce new high-quality varieties and expand the planting area of high-quality varieties. In 2014, the total crop production in the autonomous region was 15.34 million tons, with an increase of 126,000 tons from previous year; the aquaculture production was 3.32 million tons, up 4 percent year-on-year; the meat production was 4.24 million tons, up 1 percent. The average annual income of farmers in the region was 6,898 yuan per capita, up 12.1 percent year-on-year, which was 0.3 percentage point higher than the national average. In Henan province, subsidy projects were conducted to promote new varieties and technologies. In Xiping County, the regional technology promotion division carried out projects to develop high-standard farmlands, high-yield creation, breed high-quality wheat varieties, promoting integration technology for growing wheat and corn. The average wheat production in the county was over 630 kg per mu (about 9,450 kg per hectare), and the average corn production was 600 kg per mu (9,000 kg per hectare). In Hebei province, subsidy projects were carried out to maintain the planting rate of leading varieties at a minimum of 97 percent, and the adopting rate of leading technologies at a minimum of 95 percent, which effectively increased the production quality of farm households. In 2014, the agricultural production of the whole province was 33.6 billion kg. The vegetable production increased 5.3 percent year-on-year; the meat production increased 2.3 percent; the poultry and egg production increase 2 percent; the dairy production increased 4 percent; the aquaculture production increased 4 percent. The rural per capita net income had a higher growth rate than urban per capita disposable income for five consecutive years.
