On October 17, a report from Yongzhou highlights the critical role of modernizing agricultural machinery in advancing agricultural development. In recent years, Xintian County in Hunan Province has effectively utilized a combination of policies aimed at updating agricultural machinery. This includes ongoing subsidies for decommissioning old equipment, which is essential for promoting high-quality agricultural growth.

Visiting the Xing Sheng Waste Motor Vehicle Recycling and Dismantling Company in Xintian County, we observed staff members engaged in the decommissioning of outdated agricultural machinery. Prior to dismantling, the team meticulously oversees the destruction process, verifying crucial information such as the model, engine number, and chassis number of the equipment. They pay particular attention to the disposal of vital components like engines and axle assemblies, capturing the entire process through photographs and video to ensure proper handling and to prevent the parts from entering the market post-dismantling.

The program to trade in old machinery not only alleviates farmers’ concerns regarding insufficient machinery power and financial constraints but also ensures the smooth continuity of agricultural production, making farmers primary beneficiaries of the machinery update initiative.

Currently, Xintian County has cut up over 160 old tractors and harvesters, distributing 1.31 million yuan in subsidies for updated agricultural machinery. A spokesperson from the Xintian Agricultural Bureau remarked that the county will continue to enhance its promotional efforts around the new round of machinery decommissioning policies, aiming to increase public awareness and expedite the subsidy disbursement process. The goal is to optimize the structure of agricultural equipment and vigorously promote the decommissioning and updating of outdated machinery, injecting new vitality into the county’s agricultural modernization.

Zou Jialin, director of the Xintian Agricultural Machinery Affairs Center, stated, “Accelerating the replacement of outdated agricultural machinery—like seeders, tractors, and harvesters that are energy-intensive, polluting, and low in safety performance—while continuing to implement subsidy policies will foster the mechanization transformation and upgrade along with sustainable agricultural development.”