Views on Development of Modern Agriculture

In traditional Chinese society, agriculture is the most important economic sector. The role of agriculture is to first address people’s food and clothing requirements. Second, it is an important source of fiscal revenue. Third, it provides the material basis for war. To ensure the development of agriculture, thinkers paid a great deal of attention to this sector of the economy. After the First Opium War, China opened its borders and thus, its economy to the international market. Furthermore, as commerce and industry boosted the country’s economy, they reduced the importance of agriculture therein. While agriculture was the most important industry, now, industry, commerce, and mining were on par. Second, the people valued agriculture and adhered to the old regulations. People’s taxes were reduced, pension and relief were provided, and irrigation and canal treatment prevented the risk of flooding. Today, agriculture includes methods introduced from the West: Department of Agriculture, Institute of Agriculture, and Agronomic Fair were established, and machine production as well as modern agricultural science and technology were employed to transform traditional agriculture, catapulting it from a state of self-sufficiency to the world market.