China bolsters development of farmland

China's top legislature adopted a law on farmland protection and quality improvement and a revised Agriculture Law on Friday, strengthening legal safeguards for arable land, farmers' rights and agricultural development.

The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress approved the two laws at its 24th session, which concluded on Friday. Both laws will take effect on Jan 1, 2027.

The Law on Farmland Protection and Quality Improvement contains 72 articles in eight chapters covering farmland protection targets and planning, controls on the use of farmland, quality improvement, ecological protection, safeguards and oversight and legal liabilities.

The Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee said the legislation will further standardize and strengthen the law-based protection and quality improvement of farmland, enhance coordination among relevant legal systems and improve governance efficiency.

Permanent basic farmland, the most productive and strategically important portion of China's arable land, is at the core of the country's food security, according to the commission.

The newly adopted law improves rules for designating permanent basic farmland based on the existing Land Administration Law. It will also expand the types of land that should be designated as permanent basic farmland while coordinating with laws including the Black Soil Protection Law and the Seed Law.

For the first time, the law establishes a legal negative list specifying land that cannot be designated as permanent basic farmland, providing a legal basis for optimizing and adjusting the designation of such land.

The law also strengthens the system for balancing farmland occupied for construction or other uses with newly added farmland.

China will implement a compensation system for the occupation of farmland and bring various types of farmland occupation under unified management. Where farmland has to be occupied, replacement farmland should be equivalent in both quantity and quality to the land taken, according to the law.

The law also emphasizes the development of high-standard farmland as a key means of improving farmland quality.

It requires China to improve standards covering the approval, construction, acceptance, maintenance and management of high-standard farmland projects, while implementing strict quality controls.

The revised Agriculture Law, meanwhile, places greater emphasis on protecting farmers' rights and increasing their incomes, the commission said.

The revised law specifies that increasing farmers' incomes is a central task of agricultural and rural development. It requires rural economic development to uphold farmers' principal role and protect their lawful rights and interests.

It also seeks to reduce the burden on farmers and local governments by establishing a long-term mechanism to address formalism and reduce burdens at the grassroots level.

The law calls for strict controls on inspections, examinations and evaluations conducted at the local level, as well as for streamlining and improving agriculture-related assessments.

Farmers, agricultural producers and businesses will also be entitled to tax reductions and exemptions provided for by laws and administrative regulations.

The revised law promotes the development of modern agricultural industries, production and business systems, as well as appropriately scaled agricultural operations that better integrate household farming with modern agriculture.

It also stipulates that agriculture should remain a priority area for government fiscal support and calls for mechanisms to ensure stable growth in agricultural investment.

zhaoyimeng@chinadaily.com.cn