Central Plains Agricultural Valley
Seeds are the "chip" of agriculture. Since ancient times, seeds have been key in the planting industry chain, bearing directly on the output and quality of crops. Henan, with an old agro-civilization and abundant food crops, is an important breadbasket of China. It has given top priority to grain production, fully implemented the strategy on sustainable use of the arable land and application of technologies to ensure national food security, ameliorated the two key factors of seeds and soil, and continuously improved the conditions and technologies for agricultural production.
In April 2022, the provincial government unveiled a plan for developing a "Central Plains Agricultural Valley," which specified the major goals, geographical location, key tasks, and working mechanisms. In June 2023, it revealed the Development Plan for the Central Plains Agricultural Valley (2022-2035), which clarified the development strategy, policies and measures, and major projects.
The Central Plains Agricultural Valley has a planned area of 1,611 square kilometers with 1.44 million residents. Designed to be a national, internationalized highland of agricultural innovation, the Agricultural Valley will support bio-breeding, modern planting and breeding, farm and sideline product processing, biotechnologies and products, agricultural equipment manufacturing, and modern agricultural services. It will serve as four centers – national seed industry innovation center, modern grain industry innovation center, agro-technological achievements transfer and commercialization center, and international agricultural cooperation and exchange center, and two demonstration zones – agricultural high-tech industrial demonstration zone and smart (digital) agricultural demonstration zone. With its layout matching well with the provincial territorial space plan, the Central Plains Agricultural Valley is divided into four sections – a world-class agricultural science zone, a hub of high-tech commercialization, a center of grain and oil industries, and a demonstration zone for food processing industry.
The place is expected to become a first-class seed innovation platform and a demonstration zone of agricultural and rural modernization in China by 2025. By 2035, it will have in place world-class clusters of agro-technological infrastructure and scientific research and experiment demonstration bases, as well as a global highland of food technology innovation. As a regional powerhouse of agricultural innovation, it will fully engage in the Belt and Road agro-technological innovation system and guarantee national food security at a higher level.
“中原农谷”
种子是农业的“芯片”。自古以来，种子便一直处于种植产业链的最前端，农作物的产量和质量都和种子直接相关。河南省地处中原，农耕文明悠久，粮食作物丰富，是中国重要的粮食主产区，素有“国人粮仓”美誉。中共十八大以来，河南把粮食生产摆在各项工作重中之重的位置，全面落实藏粮于地、藏粮于技战略，聚焦种子和耕地两个要害，农业生产条件和技术水平不断提高。
2022年4月，河南省人民政府印发《“中原农谷”建设方案》（以下简称《方案》），明确了“中原农谷”建设的目标要求、区域布局、重点任务和工作机制。2023年6月，河南省人民政府印发《中原农谷发展规划（2022—2035年）》（以下简称《规划》），进一步明确了“中原农谷”发展战略、政策措施、重大工程项目等。
“中原农谷”总规划面积为1611.83平方千米，总人口超过144万人。在功能定位方面，“中原农谷”聚焦建设国家级、国际化农业创新高地，大力发展生物育种、现代种养、农副产品加工、生物技术产品、农机装备制造、现代农业服务等产业，打造国家种业科技创新中心、现代粮食产业科技创新中心、农业科技成果转移转化中心、农业对外合作交流中心（即“四大中心”），以及农业高新技术产业示范区、智慧（数字）农业示范区（即“两个示范区”）。在功能布局方面，“中原农谷”与国土空间规划相衔接，确定核心区为国际一流农科“芯”城，西区为高新技术转化集成地，东区为粮油产业经济集聚地，南区为食品加工产业示范区。
按照《方案》《规划》，到2025年，“中原农谷”将建成国内一流的种业创新平台，成为带动全省乃至全国农业农村现代化的示范引领区；到2035年，“中原农谷”将建成世界一流的农业科技基础设施集群、科研试验示范基地集群和全球粮食科技创新高地，成为国家区域性农业创新核心力量，深度融入“一带一路”农业科技创新体系，从更高水平上筑牢国家粮食安全根基。
