China's rural economy has shown remarkable stability and resilience in the first half of 2026, with rural consumption emerging as a significant force for expanding domestic demand, according to a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on July 24.

Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Zhang Xingwang stated that agricultural departments at all levels have been steadily advancing rural revitalization and agricultural modernization, providing strong support for the overall stability and improvement of the national economy.

First, the summer grain harvest was a historic success, reaching 301.49 billion jin, surpassing the 300 billion jin mark for the first time. This overcame challenges such as extensive late sowing and multiple rounds of rainfall during the harvest period. Summer oilseed crops also saw a bumper harvest. Autumn grain planting area is expected to remain stable with a slight increase, and current crop growth is generally normal, laying a good foundation for a full-year grain harvest.

Second, normalized assistance efforts have made a steady start, successfully preventing a large-scale return to poverty. As this is the first year of normalized assistance, relevant departments have maintained policy stability while making moderate adjustments and optimizations, establishing a basic normalized assistance policy system. The central government has allocated 177 billion yuan in normalized assistance funds, focusing on supporting industrial and employment assistance, as well as improving development conditions in less-developed areas.

Third, the integration of high-quality farmland, improved seeds, advanced machinery, and efficient techniques has steadily enhanced agricultural modernization.

Fourth, rural investment and consumption have grown steadily, with rural demand potential being continuously released. In the first half of the year, fixed asset investment in the primary sector reached 460 billion yuan, a 0.9% increase year-on-year. The added value of the primary sector grew by 3.7% year-on-year. Rural consumer retail sales totaled 3.3216 trillion yuan, up 2.5% year-on-year, which is 1.3 percentage points higher than the urban growth rate, highlighting the significant potential of rural consumption. The resilience of rural consumption continues to be prominent, becoming a key force in expanding domestic demand. The total import and export value of agricultural products reached $163.78 billion, a 10.8% increase year-on-year.

Fifth, progress has been made in learning and applying the "Thousand Village Demonstration, Ten Thousand Village Renovation" experience, with new developments in building livable, workable, and beautiful villages. Rural industries have improved in quality and efficiency. In the first half of the year, the added value of the national agricultural and sideline food processing industry above the designated size increased by 4.8% year-on-year. New industries and new business forms such as rural leisure tourism and rural e-commerce are thriving.

Sixth, rural reforms have been deepened, and farmers' sense of well-being continues to strengthen. Farmers' income has grown steadily. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in the first half of the year reached 12,699 yuan, a real year-on-year increase of 5.5%, which is 2.1 percentage points faster than the growth rate of urban residents.

Zhang Xingwang noted that last month, the state released the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for Accelerating Agricultural and Rural Modernization," outlining the blueprint for agricultural and rural development over the next five years. Moving forward, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will increase efforts to implement measures, focus on grain production, consolidate achievements in poverty alleviation, promote the construction of livable and beautiful villages, deepen rural reforms, and strive to complete the annual targets with high quality, laying a solid foundation for the successful start of the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period.