Support the rubber industry and ensure national security

Natural rubber is an important strategic material, and the natural rubber industry is one of the pillar industries of the national economy. On April 15, we ushered in the ninth National Security Education Day. What is the importance of the natural rubber industry in the field of national security? How to promote the better development of China's natural rubber industry? How to make the concept of natural rubber related to national security deeply rooted in the hearts of the people? The reporter interviewed Li Jihua, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences and director of the Rubber Research Institute, to conduct in-depth discussions on these issues.

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What is the importance of the natural rubber industry in the field of national security? What is the significance of developing the natural rubber industry?

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The natural rubber industry is directly related to national defense and security. Natural rubber is widely used in national defense equipment, which can have a significant impact on the core performance of many national defense equipment, and is an important national strategic material. The natural rubber industry is also related to the core competitiveness of the national industrial equipment industry. Natural rubber is used in nearly 70,000 kinds of industrial products, and in aviation equipment, rail transit equipment, construction equipment, new energy equipment and other industrial equipment, natural rubber determines the performance ceiling of many equipment. Rubber trees are tropical crops that only grow in some hot areas of China. It takes 7-8 years for the seedlings to produce gum after planting. China is the world's largest consumer and importer of natural rubber, and the domestic 17 million acres of rubber plantations have been playing the role of "ballast stone", which is of great significance for ensuring the smooth operation of the national economy, ensuring the security of national resources and national defense security.

Natural rubber is also an important cash crop. The natural rubber industry has made important contributions to the growth of farmers' income, the prosperity of rural industries, the support of regional economic development, and the maintenance of prosperity and stability in the border areas. In China, the planting areas of natural rubber are distributed in more than 60 cities and counties in Hainan, Yunnan, Guangdong and other provinces, most of which are old revolutionary areas, ethnic minority autonomous areas, land border areas and underdeveloped areas, with a total population of about 3 million people. In 17 former national-level poverty-stricken counties, including Menglian, Ximeng, Yongde and Zhenkang in Yunnan Province and Baisha and Baoting in Hainan Province, the natural rubber industry has provided strong support for local poverty alleviation.

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In recent years, in order to expand the natural rubber industry, what are the supporting policies of the state? What progress has been made?

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The CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the development of the natural rubber industry. In 2017, the State Council issued the "Guiding Opinions on the Establishment of Grain Production Functional Zones and Important Agricultural Product Production Protection Zones", requiring the construction of 18 million mu of natural rubber production protection zones. In 2022, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out during his inspection in Hainan that "improve the support policies for the natural rubber industry". In the same year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Finance issued the Notice on the Implementation of Subsidies for Natural Rubber Varieties and Good Methods, arranging for the central government to support the production of advanced planting models and excellent varieties to update and upgrade the old, low-yield and low-quality rubber plantations in the natural rubber production protection area. In 2023, the No. 1 document of the central government once again pointed out that "improve the support policy for natural rubber". In December 2023, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the State Administration of Financial Supervision jointly issued the Notice on the Implementation of Comprehensive Insurance Policies for Natural Rubber to help enhance the enthusiasm of rubber production and promote the production of natural rubber. In 2024, the first document of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs proposed to "consolidate rubber. Implement actions to improve the ability to guarantee the safe and stable supply of natural rubber resources, explore and promote the application of intelligent rubber tapping machinery, accelerate the renewal and transformation of old natural rubber plantations, and build special rubber parks. ”

After more than 70 years of development, China's natural rubber industry has grown from scratch and from small to large, and has formed a relatively complete natural rubber production system, industrial system and management system, and natural rubber production and technology have reached the world's advanced level.

First of all, the layout of the planting area has been continuously optimized, and the comprehensive production capacity has been continuously enhanced. The cultivation of natural rubber has gradually concentrated in the advantageous areas with more suitable climatic conditions and higher comprehensive benefits, forming three major production bases in Yunnan, Hainan and Guangdong. On the basis of finding out the background of Yijiao resources, China has completed the demarcation of 18 million acres of natural rubber production protection areas. At present, China's natural rubber planting area is about 17 million mu, with an annual output of about 850,000 tons.

Secondly, the infrastructure conditions have been gradually improved, and the production structure of rubber plantations has become more reasonable. In recent years, the state has effectively promoted the renewal and transformation of rubber plantations through the implementation of projects such as the construction of natural rubber production bases, national modern agricultural industrial parks, and natural rubber industry clusters. The coverage rate of improved varieties in the renewed rubber orchard exceeded 90%, and the variety structure of rubber trees was further optimized.

Third, the ability of scientific and technological innovation has been steadily improved, and the effect of technology research and development and application has gradually become prominent. It has initially formed a natural rubber scientific research system with the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences as the core, local scientific research institutes as the backbone, and leading enterprise scientific research institutions as the supplement, and has won more than 100 national awards and more than 300 provincial and ministerial awards. In the preliminary evaluation results of the National Science and Technology Award announced not long ago, the cultivation and application of cold-resistant and wind-resistant high-yield rubber tree varieties won the second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. A relatively complete cultivation technology system for the northern tropical edge of rubber trees has been constructed, and a number of excellent varieties suitable for the characteristics of China's rubber planting environment have been cultivated and promoted. Positive progress has been made in the research of mechanized and intelligent rubber tapping and tissue culture seedling breeding technology, especially in the field of equipment rubber autonomy.

Fourth, the level of production and operation has been continuously improved, and the expansion of the industrial chain and supply chain has been accelerated. China has gradually formed a production organization form based on the state-owned large rubber garden and the coexistence of multiple management modes, the processing layout and product structure have been continuously adjusted and optimized, and the economic benefits have been steadily improved. Guangken Rubber, Haijiao Group and Yunjiao Group and other agricultural reclamation enterprises have actively carried out international exchanges and cooperation to accelerate the pace of "going out" development.

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What bottlenecks are still facing in China's natural rubber industry? What's next?

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At present, China's natural rubber industry has low comparative efficiency and low industrial competitiveness. Restricted by natural conditions, the production cost of domestic natural rubber far exceeds that of Southeast Asian countries, and it lacks competitive advantage. Since 2014, affected by the international market, domestic rubber prices have continued to be sluggish, and it is difficult for rubber enterprises to operate. Secondly, the shortage of rubber workers is becoming increasingly prominent, the management and protection level of rubber plantations is not high, and the soil fertility continues to decline. The renewal task of old rubber plantations and low-yield and low-quality rubber plantations is large, and the age structure of trees needs to be further optimized. Due to the decline in the level of production management, the production capacity of the rubber garden has declined. Third, the mechanization level of natural rubber field production is low, the research and development and application of new technologies and new equipment are insufficient, the added value of primary processed products is not high, the consistency of products needs to be improved, high-end rubber is basically dependent on imports, and scientific and technological innovation is still lagging behind the needs of industrial development. Fourth, the cultivation of new business entities is insufficient, and the industrial efficiency needs to be improved. Private rubber plantations are mainly operated by small farmers, with a low degree of industrial organization and insufficient cultivation of socialized service organizations.

In order to promote the healthy development of the industry, the next step is to strengthen the construction and management of rubber gardens and consolidate the foundation for industrial development; accelerate the localization process of high-end glue and improve the level of industrial safety; strengthen scientific and technological innovation and enhance the stamina of industrial development; accelerate the cultivation of new business entities and improve industrial competitiveness; Improve the support policies for natural rubber and improve the enthusiasm of rubber farmers and production enterprises.

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How to enhance the public's awareness of the natural rubber industry as a matter of national security?

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Through the media, schools, communities and other channels, popularize the basic knowledge, laws, regulations and policy measures of natural rubber sources, uses, industrial chain links and other basic knowledge to the public, especially the national strategies related to the natural rubber industry. Through the production of special reports, interview programs, new media and other forms, improve the public's attention and awareness of the natural rubber industry. Strengthen the safety education of the natural rubber industry, and improve the public's awareness and response ability to the safety of the natural rubber industry through case analysis and simulation drills. Organize various forms of popular science activities of the natural rubber industry, such as popular science lectures, exhibitions, laboratory open days, etc., and let the public feel the charm of the natural rubber industry through interactive experience. Through a variety of measures, gradually enhance the public's awareness of the natural rubber industry related to national security, and form a good atmosphere of concern for China's natural rubber industry in the whole society.

Author: Yao Yuan, reporter of Farmer's Daily and China Rural Net

Original title: The ninth National Security Education Day is coming, and the relevant person in charge of the China Institute of Thermal Sciences talks about supporting the rubber industry and ensuring national security

Original title: "Supporting the Rubber Industry and Ensuring National Security"