After the expiration of the second round of rural contracted land, it will be extended for another 30 years

Securities Times Reporter He Jueyuan

Managing the relationship between farmers and land is the main focus of deepening rural reform in China. On March 18, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the “Opinions on the Pilot Work of Extending the Second Round of Land Contracting for 30 Years” (hereinafter referred to as “Opinions”), which provides specific arrangements for the pilot work of extending the second round of land contracting for 30 years (hereinafter referred to as “extension pilot”). It clarifies that when the second round of land contracting contracts expire, the extension work should generally be completed within one year after the expiration.

To actively and prudently carry out the extension pilot work, since 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Central Rural Work Leading Group, together with relevant departments, have guided provinces to gradually expand the scope of the pilot from villages and groups. In accordance with the deployment of the Party Central Committee, this year China will carry out comprehensive provincial pilots in 29 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities).

The “Opinions” emphasize adherence to collective ownership, strictly prohibiting breaking the boundaries of original collective land ownership and conducting equal contracting across entire villages, fully safeguarding farmers’ collective rights to lease, adjust, supervise, and reclaim contracted land, and exploring effective ways to realize rural land collective ownership. It insists on the dominant position of farmers, fully mobilizing farmers’ initiative and creativity, and encourages farmers’ collectives to explore specific paths and methods for extension within the framework of laws and policies based on local conditions.

The “Opinions” stress the importance of conducting the extension pilot in a steady and orderly manner. Based on the results of rural land rights confirmation, registration, and certification, the extension period will start from the expiration of the second round of land contracting contracts, extending the contract for another 30 years. Extension will be carried out on a household basis to ensure that the vast majority of farmers’ original contracted land remains stable, avoiding complete re-contracting or disruption, and preventing illegal adjustments or reclamation of farmers’ contracted land. The principle of “large stability, small adjustments” will be maintained— for villages and groups with special circumstances such as damage due to natural disasters and where residents generally request land adjustments, small-scale appropriate adjustments can be made among individual farmers within the framework of “large stability” and by rural collective economic organizations.

With the development of rural economy and society, conflicts involving rural contracted land exist to varying degrees in some areas. The “Opinions” clarify that the legitimate rights and interests of farmers who give up contracting rights in the second round of land contracting, including landless farmers, should be protected according to law, and proper handling of reasonable demands from farmers facing difficulties due to land shortages should be ensured. It encourages resolving prominent conflicts through methods outside land, such as collective benefit distribution, employment services, and placement in public welfare positions, in accordance with relevant regulations. Issues related to delaying land rights confirmation, registration, and certification will be properly handled in conjunction with the extension pilot.

To safeguard the land contracting rights of members of rural collective economic organizations, the “Opinions” specify that households with members of such organizations have the right to land contracting according to law, and non-members of the collective economic organizations do not participate in extension. The legal rights of farmers who move to cities and settle there to contract land should also be protected. Methods for voluntary and paid withdrawal from land contracting rights by farmers will be explored.

Developing moderate-scale operations is an important direction for agricultural modernization. To ensure stable land transfer and operation, the “Opinions” require that the legal rights of both parties in land transfer be protected, the role of rural collective economic organizations be fully utilized, and, respecting farmers’ wishes, guiding both contracting and accepting parties to negotiate thoroughly and specify land lease renewal terms through contracts, thereby stabilizing operational expectations. Land transfer and operation rights will be strictly regulated, large-scale and long-term transfers of rural land are discouraged, and the “non-agriculturalization” of transferred land will be firmly curbed to prevent “non-grain” cultivation.

(Editors: Wang Zhiqiang HF013)

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