China Review News carried an article on the current trend and reform challenges that the agriculture industry faces. These include the difficulties and challenges of a more complicated environment; the demand to speed up the modernization of an industry that is driven by growth in industrialization; informatization and urbanization; meeting demands while facing the burden of environmental issues and a shortage of resources.

According to the article, the current structure of the farmers’ population has changed with the growth of industrialization and urbanization. Some farmers have chosen to relocate to urban areas while some have remained as full time or seasonal farmers. The rest have chosen to be involved in the business and service segments of the agricultural industry. The formation of the new farm structure, such as family farms and farmers’ professional cooperative units that are equipped with some level of business skill and a strong cash flow have become the new driving force behind the modernization of China’s agricultural industry. Another trend is the increase in the transfer of land-use rights to individual farmers, cooperative units, and businesses. In the meantime, due to an increase in land lease costs and the cost of raw materials, the cost of production is climbing and profits are down. The article also mentioned that the growth rate in the agriculture industry will be hard to maintain due to a reduction in farm land, extreme weather conditions, worsened insect infestation, and diseases. Meanwhile the demand in consumption keeps growing due to population size as well as increases in the industrial demand for the use of wheat and corn. The article also mentioned the phenomenon that the land quality has been deteriorating due to an overuse of fertilizer. China has 10 percent of the farm land in the world but it consumes one-third of the world’s fertilizer production. The article stated that the agriculture industry is a high risk industry due to areas such as an inadequate pricing structure; an unstable income for the farmers; recent frequent occurrences of extreme weather conditions and natural disasters; and lack of proper farmers’ insurance policies available to the farmers.

Source: China Review News, March 15, 2014
http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1030/7/3/9/103073946.html?coluid=53&kindid=0&docid=103073946&mdate=0315083230

Qiushi Theory published an article that included clarification on 18 questions related to ideology. Below is a partial translation of the some of the questions.

As to questions about the key issues in the current field of ideology, the answer is it includes the following: the use of the West’s “democratic constitutionalism” to negate China’s political system; the use of “neoliberalism” to destroy public ownership; the use of the media having a so called “independent media view” to guide the media; the use of "universal values” to mislead people; the use “civil society” to decrease cohesiveness; the use “historical determinism” to deny the history of modern China; the use “far-left ideology” to negate reform and the open door policy.

As to the question of constitutionalism, the answer is that constitutionalism is an element of capitalism. Basically it consists of locking up power and giving the key to capitalism. It is obviously contradictory to the concept of socialism and the public will never allow it.

As to the question of “universal values,” the answer is it is a religious concept which means egoism and the elimination of different views. Recently the West has been exporting their value system to mislead the Chinese people. The real universal values are to seek truth from facts and to respect each country in walking its own unique path.

As to the question of the essence of “freedom of the press in the west,” the answer is that many people misunderstand the true meaning of freedom of the press. The U.S. often claims it has freedom of the press. The reality, however, is that it institutes tough restrictions on the media and adopts a double standard: it condemns those who do not agree with its political view and value system and uses distorted facts to protect its own rights.

As to the question of the struggle between different ideologies, the answer is that social turmoil often starts with confusion on ideology. Recently the Western anti-China forces and parties tried to stir up trouble in order to interfere with our ideology, to confuse the people, and eventually to cause chaos in China. The central administration has determined that the current ideology struggle is fierce and complicated. As patriotic netizens, we should automatically protect the safety of China’s ideology system.

Source: Qiushi Theory, March 14, 2014
http://www.qstheory.cn/zz/wwtj/201403/t20140314_330014.htm