Distinguished guests; Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

It is my great pleasure to have the opportunity to attend the opening ceremony of the International Seminar on Chinese Agricultural Census Results. On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture of China, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the delegates and also warm congratulations to the participants of the seminar.

 

China is a large agricultural country having more than 1.2 billion people, of which the rural population accounts for nearly 80 percent. With the expanding reform of a market-oriented agricultural economic system, agricultural development has entered into a new phase, and is currently facing the critical stage of hastening the process of economic globalization. Therefore, for comprehensive, profound and accurate understanding of Chinese agriculture, rural areas and the status of farmers, this is an important national step. It will be of great significance in making scientific decisions, formulating and perfecting strategy and planning for agricultural and rural development.

 

In 1997, China successfully conducted the first National Agricultural Census, which obtained a great amount of scientific, reliable and valuable data and filled in the many blanks of basic data. Therefore, a complete set of basic materials which reflect the current developmental circumstances in China’s agriculture and rural economy has been established in order to scientifically monitor socio-economic performance in rural areas, intensify macro-control and management by government, and provide a basis for decision-making for the timely improvement and perfection of policies for agriculture and rural areas. The success of the First Agricultural Census in China cannot be separated from the support of FAO and Italian Government. From 1987 to 1997, FAO and the Italian Government assisted the implementation of the Project on China Food and Agricultural Statistics Center, which has made remarkable progress. For the establishment of the China Food and Agricultural Statistics Center and 23 regional centers, a large group of agricultural statisticians were trained at the provincial, prefecture and county level. Moreover, advanced office equipment has been introduced, all of which provided a sound foundation in terms of personnel, material and technology for the census. Therefore, I would like once again on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture to extend our sincere thanks to FAO and the Italian Government for their concern and support for China’s agricultural statistics task and agricultural development.

 

The key to whether the data and results obtained from the census get their due is how they are analyzed, processed and utilized. I sincerely hope that during this seminar, foreign and Chinese experts will carry out wide-scope, in-depth discussions in this regard, expressing in full the various points of views in terms of Chinese agriculture and socio-economic development in rural areas, the challenges to be met, trends for future development, as well as make viable proposals, thus bringing their personal contributions to the further development of Chinese agriculture and rural development.

 

Finally, I wish the seminar on China Agricultural Census Results great success.