Agriculture in China

China has made rapid strides in agricultural production during the past few years. Although the absence of any serious climatic disturbances is a contributing factor, implementation of the responsibility system to reward peasant families for their initiatives has been by far the most significant. This has resulted in increased specialization, a greater requirement for technical adivsory services, and a much higher demand for farm equipment and production inputs. The revamped system has brought with it some problems such as differences in income between the most progressive producers and their less successful neighbours and urban workers, a shortage of storage, transport and processing facilities, and a strain on the national treasury to continue to subsidize farm prices. Demand for fertilizers has been increasing at a fast rate, especially for nitrogen. This has led to a serious imbalance in nutrient use which must be corrected if the current momentum in improving crop yields is to be maintained. Following a decade of total stagnation during the Cultural Revolution, agricultural research and education facilities are being strengthened. Younger scientists, many with overseas training, are being placed in key positions. China is still a developing country, and much remains to be done; however, progress in the last decade, and especially in the past five years, has been remarkable.