The Ministry of Agriculture will push forward the development of modern agriculture in the country in four aspects in 2007, Zhang Baowen, Vice Minister of Agriculture, told a news conference in the Great Hall of the People on March 6.

The first is to strategically change the method of agricultural production while improving its productivity and market competitiveness.

The second is to develop sound policies for modern agriculture while increasing the support for science and technology, social facilities and human resources.

The third is to develop six industrial systems: grain industry, economic crops and horticulture industry, breeding industry, processing industry of agricultural products, ecological and biological industry and agricultural service industry.

The fourth is to implement actions to promote modern agriculture: increase the productivity of grain production; push forward the development of a healthy breeding industry; promote economic crops and horticulture industry; strengthen quality control and inspection of agricultural products; stimulate innovation in science and technology in applied agriculture when training new farmers; advance recycling agriculture; strengthen facilities of modern agriculture; prevent and control serious animal epidemics like bird flu; and regulate the construction of the new socialist countryside.

The common goal of these drives is to ensure a national grain supply, increase farmers' income and provide a solid foundation for the construction of the new socialist countryside and a harmonious society.

According to Zhang, the most important task for promoting the new countryside construction is to build modern agriculture. This is a long-term, complicated and difficult project and can only be done at a proper pace with emphasis on realistic plans.