Welcome Remarks

The Central Rural Work Conference has highlighted the need "to focus on enhancing agricultural structural reform of the supply side, and to increase the quality and efficiency of agricultural supply system". To adapt to the new situation and new requirement, it is imperative to improve the management of modern agriculture and to strengthen the leading role of market information on the agricultural supply-side structural reforms. In recent years, China has achieved substantial progress in agricultural marketization and informatization, with the establishment of the groundbreaking and pioneering China Agricultural Outlook System. The convocation of 2014 China Agricultural Outlook Conference (AOC) in April 2014, hosted by Agricultural Information Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), heralds an early release of signals to the market; to effectively guide the market, and to actively address a new chapter in the ever changing international situation. The 2nd China Agricultural Outlook Conference, held in 2015, which has drawn extensive attention at home and abroad. In accordance with the policy guidelines adopted by the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central committee, the Central Economic Working Conference, the Central Rural Work Conference and the No.1 Central Document, to facilitate the development of modern agriculture, the 3rd China Agricultural Outlook Conference will be held in Beijing from April 22 to 23, 2016. This event, organized by Market Early Warning Expert Committee of Ministry of Agriculture, supported by Information Center of Ministry of Agriculture and other agencies, will be hosted by Agricultural Information Institute of CAAS, aiming to foster information exchange via discussion sessions on 18 topics covering major agricultural products, including grain, cotton, oilseed, sugar, meat, vegetable, and other agricultural products, and hot topics in agriculture and rural development. On behalf of the Organizing Committee, I would like to sincerely invite you to participate in this conference.

Conference contents are as follows: (1) Releasing China Agricultural Outlook Report. The conference will release China Agricultural Outlook (2016-2025), covering 18 agricultural products such as rice, wheat, maize, soybean, etc. (2) Deliberation on hot topics in macro-economy and agricultural development. AOC will organize seminars on pressing topics relating to China's agricultural development, such as agricultural supply-side structural reform, "internet+" modern agriculture, agricultural price mechanism, agricultural resources and environment, big data and agriculture monitoring and early-warning, agricultural E-commerce, etc. (3) Sharing the latest accomplishments in the theories and methods in the areas of agricultural outlook, agricultural monitoring and early-warning. The conference will facilitate academic exchange pertaining to achievements in agricultural outlook methods and models, agricultural monitoring and early-warning technology, agricultural monitoring and early-warning system, agricultural information analysis methods and technology, etc.

The conference will invite officials from relevant ministries, scientific research institutions, universities, well-known enterprises and international organizations, as well as professionals and scholars in the fields of agricultural information, market early warning, agricultural outlook, to jointly discuss the development of China's agriculture in the next decade.

We look forward to meeting you in the spring of 2016 in Beijing!

Xu Shiwei

Executive Chairman of China Agricultural Outlook Conference