Recently, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the "Implementation Plan for Gradually Transforming Permanent Basic Farmland into High-Standard Farmland" and sent out a notice requiring all regions and departments to conscientiously implement the plan in light of their actual conditions.

The full text of the “Implementation Plan for Gradually Upgrading Permanent Basic Farmland into High-Standard Farmland” is as follows.

Food security is a strategic issue. The cornerstone of ensuring national food security lies in arable land, and building high-standard farmland represents an important approach to achieving this goal. To promote the gradual conversion of all eligible permanent basic farmland into high-standard farmland, this plan has been formulated.

I. General Requirements

We will unswervingly adhere to the guiding principles of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Party as well as the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 20th Central Committee, fully, accurately, and comprehensively embrace the new development philosophy, accelerate the establishment of a new development pattern, and vigorously promote high-quality development. We will deeply implement the strategies of "storing grain in land" and "storing grain in technology," taking the enhancement of food and important agricultural product production capacity as our primary task. We will improve the mechanisms for constructing, accepting, and managing high-standard farmland, optimize the layout of such construction, clarify the sequence of implementation, and increase investment efforts. We will give equal weight to both new construction and renovation, to quantity and quality, and to construction and management. We will truly transform eligible arable land—especially permanent basic farmland—into modern, high-quality farmland that is suitable for cultivation, capable of ensuring stable yields regardless of drought or flood, and characterized by high and steady productivity, thereby further solidifying the foundation of food security.

The primary goals are: By 2030, strive to have cumulatively built 1.35 billion mu of high-standard farmland and cumulatively upgraded and improved 280 million mu; comprehensively plan and simultaneously implement efficient water-saving irrigation, adding 80 million mu of newly irrigated land under efficient water-saving systems. By 2035, strive to convert all eligible permanent basic farmland into high-standard farmland, cumulatively upgrading and improving 455 million mu, and adding 130 million mu of newly irrigated land under efficient water-saving systems.

II. Construction Arrangements

(1) Construction Standards. Taking “one leveling” (leveling of farmland plots), “two connections” (access to water and roads), and “three enhancements” (enhancing soil fertility, yield, and economic benefits) as the basic standards, we will rationally determine construction and investment standards for high-standard farmland in different regions and for different types of farmland. National standards emphasize fundamental and universal requirements such as ensuring stable yields regardless of drought or flood, enhancing disaster resilience and mitigation, and boosting production capacity. At the provincial level, we will refine and specify detailed requirements covering plot remediation, irrigation and drainage facilities, field roads, and soil fertility enhancement. At the city and county levels, we will develop simple, easy-to-follow, clearly understandable, and highly operational implementation guidelines, thereby establishing a standardized system that is clearly layered, seamlessly connected across levels, and practical and effective.

(2) Construction Content: Promote the construction of high-standard farmland tailored to local conditions, and comprehensively carry out integrated management of fields, soil, water, roads, forests, electricity, technology, and management, with a particular focus on in-field improvements. For new projects, prioritize foundational infrastructure such as field plot remediation, on-farm irrigation and drainage systems, farm-to-farm roads, and supporting power facilities, aiming to enhance the farmland’s capacity to retain water, conserve soil, and maintain fertility; improve its resilience against droughts and floods; and facilitate mechanized farming operations. For renovation and upgrading projects, follow the principle of addressing existing shortcomings by filling in what is lacking. Employ measures such as importing topsoil and reusing stripped topsoil to level the land, rationally adjust surface slope gradients, and improve the arable layer of farmland. In conjunction with routine agricultural production, strengthen soil improvement and fertilization efforts to effectively enhance the productivity of cultivated land. Based on identified hazards, adopt appropriate engineering measures such as bank protection, windbreaks, and sand-control structures to bolster farmland protection and soil and water conservation capabilities. Encourage operators of high-standard farmland to independently promote the integration of water and fertilizer management, smart irrigation systems, automated monitoring of soil moisture and pest conditions, and intelligent meteorological services—thus advancing the digitalization of farmland management.

(3) Construction Layout: Optimize the spatial layout and temporal sequencing of high-standard farmland construction. Prioritize construction in the Northeast Black Soil Region, plain areas, regions with adequate irrigation facilities, and areas characterized by high grain yields and substantial potential for yield increases. Such construction need not be limited to permanent basic farmland. Strictly restrict high-standard farmland development in ecologically fragile zones, coastal and inland tidal flats, and other such areas. Prohibit construction on slopes steeper than 25 degrees, on cultivated land under strict management, within ecological protection redlines (except for contiguous terraced fields or contiguous farmland coexisting with protected objects within the redline), and in areas undergoing conversion from farmland back to forests, grasslands, lakes, or pastures. In regions where conditions permit, launch demonstration projects for promoting high-standard farmland construction across entire administrative regions.

(4) Construction Zoning. Based on regional resource endowments, farming systems, and administrative divisions, the nationwide construction of high-standard farmland is divided into seven zones. The Northeast Zone includes the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang, as well as the four leagues (cities) of Chifeng, Tongliao, Hinggan League, and Hulunbuir in eastern Inner Mongolia. The focus here is on accelerating the improvement of farmland irrigation and drainage facilities, strengthening field consolidation, and protecting black soil. The Huanghuaihai Zone comprises the five provinces (directly-administered municipalities) of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, and Henan. The emphasis here is on enhancing irrigation reliability and improving modern farming conditions. The Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River Zone includes the six provinces (directly-administered municipalities) of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hunan. The focus here is on upgrading and modernizing on-farm infrastructure and carrying out comprehensive management of drought, flood, and waterlogging hazards. The Southeast Zone includes the four provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, and Hainan. The priority here is to gradually address the fragmentation of farmland plots while respecting farmers’ wishes and enhancing the ability of farmland to withstand heavy rainfall. The Southwest Zone includes the five provinces (autonomous regions, directly-administered municipalities) of Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan. The focus here is on strengthening the transformation and construction of terraced fields, improving farm roads, and addressing the shortfall in engineered water supply. The Northwest Zone includes the five provinces (autonomous regions) of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, and Xinjiang (including the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps), as well as the eight leagues (cities) in central and western Inner Mongolia. The emphasis here is on reinforcing field consolidation, improving agricultural water-use efficiency, and overcoming the bottleneck of drought. The Qinghai-Tibet Zone includes the two provinces (autonomous regions) of Tibet and Qinghai. The focus here is on perfecting farmland protection facilities and improving conditions for mechanized operations. Localities should refine zoning for construction, adopt differentiated strategies, and target specific factors that hinder agricultural production.

(5) Tiered Planning. Establish a four-level planning system—national, provincial, municipal, and county—to guide the orderly implementation of high-standard farmland construction. The national level will formulate an overarching master plan, strengthening strategic deployment; the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will, based on this plan, develop zone-specific and category-based construction guidelines. At the provincial level, local planning schemes will be issued, detailing spatial layouts, chronological schedules, construction standards, and supporting measures, and breaking down and implementing specific construction tasks. Copies of these plans will be sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Ministry of Water Resources. At the municipal and county levels, specific implementation plans will be formulated on a county-by-county basis, clearly defining pending tasks, construction content, and work schedule arrangements.

III. Construction Management

(6) Project Implementation. Localities should strengthen the reserve of high-standard farmland construction projects and carry out preliminary project work in a solid and thorough manner. Adhere to a combination of application submission and task assignment, scientifically and reasonably determining and uniformly allocating annual targets and tasks. Standardize project construction procedures, enhance the efficiency of project approval, and avoid duplicate or multiple rounds of approvals. Strictly implement the project entity responsibility system, the bidding and tendering system, the engineering supervision system, the contract management system, and the project publicity system. Clearly assign local responsibilities for engineering quality management, rigorously control each stage—including site selection, project approval, bidding and tendering, building materials, and construction—and severely investigate and punish quality issues such as substandard workmanship, material substitution, and falsification, as well as any illegal or non-compliant practices in bidding and tendering. Strictly enforce qualification requirements for entities involved in farmland construction, and restrict units and individuals with records of illegal, non-compliant, or dishonest behavior from participating in such projects.

(7) Fund Supervision. Localities shall, in accordance with regulations governing budget management and treasury administration, strictly allocate funds for high-standard farmland construction within the prescribed timeframes, rationally schedule treasury funds, make payments according to contractual agreements and project progress, and enhance the efficiency of fund utilization. Strengthen daily fund supervision, early-warning monitoring, and special audits. Promptly issue reminders and corrections for issues such as delayed budget allocation or failure to make payments in line with project progress, and firmly prevent problems like using allocated funds before actual expenditures, misappropriating funds, intercepting funds, or diverting funds for other purposes. Each province (autonomous region, municipality directly under the central government) may establish dedicated sub-accounts for high-standard farmland construction funds under the single treasury account of county-level finance departments or township governments, thereby achieving specialized accounting, dedicated fund transfers, and separate fund settlements, ensuring that funds are genuinely used for agricultural land.

(8) Completion and Acceptance. High-standard farmland construction projects shall be completed on time and undergo formal completion acceptance. Rigorous quality control shall be implemented throughout the acceptance process, with strict adherence to the procedures of county-level preliminary inspection, city-level acceptance, and provincial-level spot checks. The acceptance criteria shall include whether the project meets the design requirements, whether it can effectively enhance drought- and flood-resilient yields and grain production capacity, as well as the results of trial operations and public satisfaction levels. After project acceptance, ownership of the engineering facilities shall be clearly defined in a timely manner; facilities primarily funded by government investment shall, in principle, be owned by the landowners within the project area. Strengthen the management of project archives for high-standard farmland construction.

(9) Full-process supervision. Establish and improve a quality supervision and inspection system for farmland construction projects. Introduce a routine inspection system for high-standard farmland projects, with regular spot checks conducted at the national and provincial levels. Timely release inspection results and publicly report typical issues. Enhance the supervision mechanism by strengthening oversight from disciplinary inspection bodies, supervisory inspectors, audit authorities, farmer communities, and the media. Make good use of supervision tools such as the engineering quality supervision hotline and the “Snap-and-Report Farmland Construction” mini-program. Relying on the National Comprehensive Monitoring and Supervision Platform for Farmland Construction, promptly input and archive relevant information from all stages—including project approval, implementation, acceptance, and utilization—into the database, thereby reinforcing full-process supervision. Strengthen industry management and service in farmland construction, guiding market entities to establish industry associations and other service and self-regulatory organizations in accordance with the law. Conduct credit evaluations of institutions engaged in high-standard farmland construction and intensify penalties for violations and acts of dishonesty. Promote the improvement and perfection of the legal and regulatory framework related to farmland construction.

IV. Operation and Maintenance

(10) Operating and Maintenance Entities. Local governments at various levels shall assume responsibility for the operation and maintenance of high-standard farmland in accordance with their respective administrative hierarchies, clearly defining the content and standards for such operations and maintenance. For public infrastructure, county-level governments shall regularly organize inspections and maintenance activities. Relevant industry departments shall, according to their respective responsibilities, strengthen supervision and guidance over the operation and maintenance of irrigation and drainage systems, power transmission and distribution facilities, and other engineering infrastructure, ensuring that responsibilities are effectively implemented. In line with the principles of aligning responsibilities with authority and matching duties with capabilities, the list of duties to be performed by township-level authorities shall explicitly specify the tasks related to the operation and maintenance of high-standard farmland. For small-scale agricultural water conservancy facilities that are frequently used in fields and at field edges, support shall be provided to operators of high-standard farmland to carry out daily operation and maintenance through self-funded labor contributions, procurement of services, and other means. Furthermore, technical guidance, training services, and supervisory management for operation and maintenance personnel shall be strengthened.

(11) Operation and Maintenance Model. Localities may, based on their specific circumstances, explore high-standard farmland operation and maintenance models. It is encouraged to adopt methods such as government procurement of services or entrusting industry organizations to carry out specialized maintenance of technically sophisticated facilities and equipment, including sluice gates, pumping stations, and power facilities. It is also encouraged to implement engineering quality insurance, supporting insurance institutions in mobilizing professional teams to supervise entities involved in design, construction, and supervision, thereby mitigating engineering quality risks and promptly addressing and resolving issues related to project operation and maintenance.

(12) Protection and Utilization: Strictly protect high-standard farmland and strictly prohibit unauthorized occupation. For cases where occupation is permitted following legal approval, local authorities shall promptly implement compensatory restoration measures to ensure that the quantity does not decrease and the quality does not deteriorate. No organization or individual may damage facilities on high-standard farmland. Any high-standard farmland damaged by natural disasters shall be promptly repaired or restored as part of the annual renovation and upgrading tasks. Strengthen subsequent soil enrichment and quality monitoring to prevent a decline in land productivity. It is strictly prohibited to discharge, dump, or store sewage, domestic waste, industrial waste, or other similar materials onto farmland.

V. Policy Coordination

(13) Re-allocation and Adjustment of Permanent Basic Farmland. Strictly implement the rules for delineating permanent basic farmland and refine the procedures for re-allocation and adjustment. High-standard farmland constructed on cultivated land with favorable resource endowments, high production potential, and not currently included within the scope of permanent basic farmland shall be promptly designated as permanent basic farmland in accordance with requirements. Construction on permanent basic farmland that does not meet the criteria for approval of high-standard farmland projects shall be temporarily suspended. In conjunction with the assessment and adjustment of land and spatial planning, legally remove from the permanent basic farmland those plots that fail to meet the delineation requirements. If a high-standard farmland project area requires a small amount of permanent basic farmland for the construction of supporting agricultural infrastructure, the total area of cultivated land within the project area shall, in principle, not decrease before and after construction. If a slight reduction is indeed necessary, the county-level government shall organize the preparation of a plan for adjusting and re-delineating permanent basic farmland, and its natural resources department shall carry out the prescribed filing procedures accordingly, while strengthening information sharing. Agricultural infrastructure within high-standard farmland project areas managed as agricultural land shall not be subject to land-use approval procedures.

(14) Supporting water resources. Implement, in a coordinated manner, the construction of high-standard farmland and irrigation districts. Adhere to the principle of water conservation first, manage water use according to available water resources, and determine land use based on water availability, ensuring that the scale and layout of irrigation development are aligned with the carrying capacity of water resources. Scientifically and orderly advance the construction of various types of water source projects, and strengthen the integration of field-level projects with water source projects and key water conservancy infrastructure. Accelerate the ongoing construction and modernization of medium- and large-scale irrigation districts, and build a new batch of modern irrigation districts in regions where water and soil resource conditions are suitable. Fully promote the construction of small-scale agricultural water conservancy projects to enhance the capacity for irrigation and drainage in farmland.

(15) Financial Investment. Establish a diversified investment mechanism for the construction, operation, and maintenance of high-standard farmland. The central and local governments shall jointly provide financial support for the construction of high-standard farmland, with provincial-level governments bearing primary responsibility for local funding contributions. Local government bonds may be issued to support the construction of high-standard farmland meeting specified criteria. Leverage the guiding and leveraging effects of government investment; without incurring additional implicit local government debt, explore orderly channels—such as subsidized loans—to attract financial institutions, social investors, and new types of agricultural business entities to contribute to farmland development and construction. Encourage financial institutions, on the basis of compliance with laws and regulations and under controllable risk conditions, to strengthen credit support for farmland construction. Harness the guiding role of local fiscal funds and mobilize operating and maintenance funds through multiple channels.

VI. Guarantee Measures

(Sixteen) Strengthen leadership and ensure accountability. Uphold and enhance the Party’s leadership over the construction of high-standard farmland, implementing a working mechanism characterized by central coordination, provincial overall responsibility, city- and county-level implementation, and public participation. At the central level, strengthen macro-management tasks such as institutional design, overall planning, establishment of universal standards, allocation of resources, and guidance and supervision. Provincial governments bear overall responsibility for the implementation of targets and tasks, fundraising, construction progress, engineering quality, and operation and maintenance. City- and prefecture-level governments assume primary regulatory responsibilities for project implementation progress, engineering quality, completion acceptance, use of funds, and operation and maintenance. County-level governments bear the main responsibility for project implementation, engineering quality, use of funds, and operation and maintenance.

(17) All parties shall collaborate and implement measures in a coordinated manner. We must effectively put into practice the “Five Unifications” (unified planning and layout, unified construction standards, unified organization and implementation, unified acceptance and assessment, and unified mapping and database entry). The departments of agriculture and rural affairs should strengthen overall coordination and enhance follow-up evaluation, while relevant departments should advance the implementation of various tasks according to their respective responsibilities. With a view to enhancing the overall efficiency of construction, and on the premise of fully respecting farmers’ wishes, we should explore and promote integrated approaches to project design, implementation, operation, and maintenance. We should introduce and popularize advanced and practical technologies for farmland construction, and strengthen the integrated application of agricultural machinery and agronomic techniques. In areas where water bodies suffer from severe pollution by nitrogen, phosphorus, and other substances, we should coordinate the implementation of ecological and environmental remediation projects to promote the recycling of farmland drainage. In regions plagued by wind and sand hazards, we should deepen the implementation of key ecological construction projects such as the “Three-North” Program, promote the construction of large-scale farmland shelterbelts, and thereby ensure stable and high yields in farmland.

(18) Public participation should be tangible and accessible. We should actively encourage rural collective economic organizations, new types of agricultural business entities, and farmer communities to participate in the construction, operation, and maintenance of high-standard farmland, and ensure that farmers’ rights to know, participate, and supervise are effectively implemented. In the early stages of project selection and design, we should widely solicit public opinions to ensure that the construction content accurately reflects actual needs. Farmers should be encouraged to exercise oversight over such aspects as the entry of construction materials, daily construction activities, acceptance of concealed works, and the performance of duties by supervisors.

(19) Dynamic tracking and tiered evaluation. Improve the mechanism for task implementation, including regular scheduling, analytical assessment, public notification and interviews, as well as rewarding excellence and penalizing poor performance. Localities shall, based on national standards such as the Evaluation Criteria for High-Standard Farmland, regularly organize classified and tiered evaluations of high-standard farmland that has already been accepted; farmland failing to meet the required standards shall not be certified as high-standard farmland. Further refine the accountability system covering the entire lifecycle of high-standard farmland construction projects, including retrospective investigations and lifelong accountability, to ensure that all regulatory measures are effectively implemented and enforced.

(20) Rectify conduct and enforce discipline, and guard against risks. We will resolutely address corruption and misconduct in the construction of high-standard farmland, closely monitor issues that harm farmers’ interests and those strongly reported by the public, and strengthen oversight over key areas and critical links. We will strictly investigate and punish, in accordance with regulations, discipline, and law, acts such as embezzlement, misappropriation, false reporting for illicit gains, and fraudulent practices, thereby effectively guarding against integrity risks.