Beijing leads nation in agricultural tech, rural gains

Beijing's agricultural technology contribution rate has reached 75%, placing the capital among the national leaders, officials said at a briefing on Wednesday.

Over the past five years, the city has built 840,000 mu (56,000 hectares) of high-standard farmland, supporting steady gains in grain output. Grain planting area and yields rose 93% and 89%, respectively, compared with the end of the previous planning period. Rural incomes have also grown steadily. Rural per capita disposable income ranked third nationwide last year and has outpaced that of urban residents for seven straight years.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), Beijing has rolled out a series of policies supporting agricultural research, enterprise development, and commercialization of scientific advances. 

The city now has a germplasm bank of 2.14 million accessions, including the world's most diverse range of crop species.

Beijing is also home to 29 seed enterprises that have been selected as key national players – the highest number across China. It also registers more new crop varieties than most other provincial regions each year. These achievements are supported by the Beijing Seed Ordinance initiative, which aims to establish the city as a "seed capital."

Technological innovations have been pivotal, with breakthroughs such as AI-based plant protection models debuting at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. 

Rural industries have also expanded rapidly. Beijing now has 8,743 agri-tourism businesses and 318 city-level agri-tourism parks. Nearly 300 local industry leaders have been trained, helping to spur new cultural and creative businesses such as village cafés, baking workshops, traditional craft studios, markets, and performances.

The capital's suburbs are becoming new cultural and leisure destination for residents. Beijing has developed 116 national- and municipal-level leisure villages, opened more than 260 village cafés, and now offers 3,932 rural homestays. Artisan workshops and cultural venues continue to grow around these hubs.

A total of 106 industrial development projects for rural revitalization are underway and are expected to generate 850 million yuan ($120.05 million) in new operating revenue and 134 million yuan for village collectives once completed.

Furthermore, Beijing has maintained one of the country's highest food safety ratings. In 2024, 99.1% of samples in the national monitoring program met standards, 1.1 percentage points above the national average.

The city now has 121 certified green-food producers and 432 accredited products. Output is projected to reach 460,000 metric tons by year-end — double the volume at the end of the previous planning period.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan, officials said Beijing will continue to strengthen food-safety awareness and branding among producers, improve enforcement, and deepen cooperation, with an aim to build a stronger market identity for safe, high-quality, and fresh farm products.