China Increased Agricultural Mechanization Level
Han Changfu, the Minister of Department of Agriculture, said on 3rd November that Chinese comprehensive level of agricultural mechanization on cultivation and harvest would surpass 61%. He declared that Chinese agricultural production has shifted from mainly depending on the strength of humans and animals to mechanical force. This is a new historical stage.
On the Decennial Forum for the Implementation of Promotion Laws on Agricultural Mechanization, Han Changfu introduced that Chinese agricultural mechanization realized great leap-forward development and featured with excellent speed, quality and efficiency simultaneously. In 2013, Chinese comprehensive level of agricultural mechanization on cultivation and harvest of crops reached 50%. It is predicted to surpass 61% in 2014, increasing by 27% than that of 10 years ago. For now, the comprehensive mechanization rates on cultivation and harvest of three main crops all exceed 75% while the wheat production has basically realized mechanization throughout the whole process. The mechanized planting and harvest for rice has been respectively improved to 38% and 81% from 6% and 27% ten years ago. The mechanized harvest for corn has risen from 2% to 55%.
Furthermore, with optimized structures, the amount of agricultural machines also increased during the past ten years. Data from Department of Agriculture show that the total power of Chinese agricultural machines will reaches 1.05 billion KW in 2014, growing by 64% compared with 0.41 billion KW in 2004. The structures of equipments will develop toward the direction of great power, multiple functions and superior performances.
The growth of agricultural mechanization also results in the prosperity of Chinese agricultural machines. The gross output of Chinese agricultural machines has maintained double-digit growth for continually ten years. Increasing from 85.4 billion RMB in 2004 to 357.1 billion RMB in 2013, the gross output of Chinese agricultural machines ranks the first in the world now.
