High-quality Development of Selenium-enriched Industry in Guangxi Driven by Scientific and Technological Innovation

Yongxian LIU, Ying XING, Xue TANG, Zhong HE, Liping PAN, Jinping CHEN, Boqian CHEN, Qi LIANG, Jingmao XU, Zepu JIANG, Panxia LIANG, Qing LIAO, Taiqing HUANG

1. Institute of Agricultural Resource and Environment, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Guangxi Selenium-enriched Agricultural Products Engineering Technology Research Center, Nanning 530007, China; 2. Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China; 3. Guangxi Green Food Group Co., Ltd., Nanning 530022, China; 4. Guangxi Selenium-enriched Agricultural Research Center, Nanning 530007, China

Abstract As the largest natural selenium-enriched soil area in China, Guangxi has achieved a leapfrog development in its selenium-enriched industry through the implementation of major scientific and technological projects driven by selenium-enriched innovation. The selenium-enriched industry has also become a new force in the poverty alleviation industry in Guangxi, making remarkable achievements. While summarizing and sorting out the effective measures and effects of scientific and technological innovation driving the development of selenium-enriched industry, the present paper analyzed some shortcomings and problems in the high-quality development of the selenium-enriched industry driven by the scientific and technological innovation. Finally, in view of the problems, it came up with pertinent recommendations and countermeasures, to better promote high-quality development of the selenium-enriched industry and boost the rural revitalization.

Key words Scientific and technological innovation, Selenium enrichment, High-quality development, Rural revitalization

1 Introduction

Scientific and technological innovation is an important driver for industrial development. The year of 2020 is the closing year of China’s poverty alleviation. Good news has been spread frequently across the country. Most of poverty-stricken counties have adopted various measures such as technology-led industrial poverty alleviation, and point-to-point visits to villages and households by science and technology commissioners to provide assistance services, which helped them to formally take off the hat of "impoverished counties". However, taking off the hat of poverty cannot solve all poverty problems, and taking off the hat is not the end of our struggle. Instead, we should observe the problems at a higher level, find the gaps, and make plan of the blueprint[1-2], so as to continue to consolidate the achievements of poverty alleviation. On the basis of this, it is urgent necessary to play the leading role of science and technology pioneers and consolidate the cornerstone of rural revitalization with scientific and technological innovation[3-4]. The selenium-enriched industry also plays a decisive role in the process of poverty alleviation through science and technology industry. In China, Guangxi is the largest natural selenium-enriched soil area. The area of selenium-enriched soil has been found to reach 3.42 million ha. In recent years, through driving by selenium-enriched innovation, Guangxi has made gratifying achievements and has become a benchmark for national selenium-enriched innovation. However, there are still many shortcomings and problems in the development of selenium-enriched industry. Through years of in-depth survey at the grassroots level, we analyzed the problems existing in the development of selenium-enriched industry in Guangxi, and came up with recommendations and countermeasures on stepping up the drive of scientific and technological innovation to lead the high-quality development of selenium-enriched industry in Guangxi.

2 Main measures and achievements of selenium-enriched agricultural development driven by scientific and technological innovation in Guangxi

2.1 Massive surge of selenium-enriched agriculture driven by innovationAt the end of 2017, Guangxi launched a major special project for scientific and technological innovation-driven development of selenium-enriched industry. The year 2018 is the year for comprehensively implementing this major project. The projects undertaken by the project team include: efficient and safe utilization of selenium-enriched soil resources; research and application of selenium-enriched standardized production of grains, oils, edible fungi, potatoes, fruits, vegetables and tea; research and application of special selenium-enriched agricultural products deep processing technology and active ingredient extraction technology; research on selenium detection methods of characteristic selenium-enriched agricultural and forestry products and the application and safety evaluation of selenium-enriched products. The research covers the main bottlenecks and technical problems in the development of selenium-enriched industry in Guangxi. With the active promotion of the project, Guangxi’s selenium-enriched industry has witnessed a good momentum of massive surge in 2018[3, 5]. According to the work report of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region government at the beginning of 2019, Guangxi’s selenium-enriched agricultural products in 2018 increased by 43.3% compared with that in 2017.

2.2 Industry guiding the selenium-enriched agricultureSince 2013, Guangxi has incorporated selenium-enriched agriculture into the "10+3" promotion action of Guangxi’s modern characteristic agricultural industry variety and quality brand[6-8]. The agricultural department has invested 2.04 billion yuan in selenium-enriched industry development funds, and built more than 700 selenium-enriched agricultural production bases with an area of more than 80 000 ha. From 2015, Guangxi started developing selenium-enriched agricultural products certification and has identified 377 kinds of selenium-enriched agricultural products, and more than 60 kinds of products have been rated as "China Famous and High-quality Selenium-Enriched Products", "China’s Selenium-enriched Good Rice", and "China’s Selenium-enriched Good Tea",etc., Guigang City and Pubei County were awarded as the "National Selenium-enriched Agricultural Demonstration Base". The output value of the selenium-enriched industry in the whole Guangxi reached 10.6 billion yuan, drove more than 10 000 poor households out of poverty, and achieved remarkable results. The selenium-enriched industry has also become one of the effective sources of collective economy for many poverty-stricken villages in Guangxi[2].

2.3 Scientific and technological pioneers leading the comprehensive development of selenium-enriched industryThe year 2020 is the closing year of the selenium-enriched innovation-driven development project, and it is also the beginning year of selenium-enriched scientific and technological pioneers to help farmers to become richer and stronger farmers. The "selenium-enriched agricultural industry science and technology pioneer team" focused on the selenium-enriched technology innovation to support the high-quality development goals of characteristic agriculture in Guangxi, and formulated four major actions: (i) the action for core technologies for the development of selenium-enriched agricultural products; (ii) cultivation action for ten major achievements in selenium-enriched agriculture; (iii) demonstration action of "strengthening town and rejuvenating village" by selenium-enriched science and technology; (iv) action of "strengthening hundreds of enterprises (cooperatives) and helping thousands of farmers" by selenium-enriched science and technology. The establishment of the pioneer team further enhances the added value of Guangxi’s selenium-enriched agricultural products, plays a good role in Guangxi’s characteristic selenium-enriched brand and selenium-enriched innovation business card, improves the contribution rate of scientific and technological progress to the improvement of agricultural quality and efficiency, and creates selenium-enriched scientific and technological innovation to drive and support high-quality development of modern characteristic agriculture and promote new model and typical pattern of rural revitalization.

3 Weak points in the high-quality development of selenium-enriched industry driven by scientific and technological innovation

3.1 Resource advantages of selenium-enriched soil not fully exploited and resource advantages not fully transformed into industrial advantagesGuangxi is the largest natural selenium-enriched soil area in the whole China. The area of selenium-enriched soil has been found to reach 3.42 million ha. However, the selenium content of selenium-enriched agricultural products planted in some areas has not reached the standard of selenium-enriched agricultural products, and the selenium-enriched soil resources have not been fully developed and utilized. It is not a "one-day work" to completely solve this bottleneck problem.

3.2 Weak connection between science and technology leading and industrial supportBecause the science and technology leading work separates from the industrial demand, it fails to reach the purpose of industrial support. There is the same problem in the selenium-enriched industry. The leading role of innovation-driven has been highlighted, but the industrial support is obviously weak, and there are certain problems in the connection between them.

3.3 Short board in processing, lack of strength in extension of industry chain, and failure in play of output value effectSince 2013, Guangxi has invested a total of 2.04 billion yuan in the development of selenium-enriched industry, with an output value of 10.6 billion yuan, but the value of the selenium-enriched industry has not been fully realized. The selenium-enriched industries in Guangxi are mostly primary agricultural products, and the development of deep processing technology and industrial chain extension needs to be improved. The value of natural selenium-enriched agricultural products has not been highlighted, and the output value effect fails to be brought into play[9-10].

3.4 Disconnection of production, sales, and demand dataAt present, there is the problem of disconnection of production, sales and demand in the selenium-enriched industry in Guangxi, and there is no complete supply chain. The production process is not closely connected with the market demand and cannot open the market; while consumers who have demand for selenium-enriched products cannot find ways to buy or do not trust the market products.

3.5 Insufficient integration of primary, secondary and tertiary industriesHow to integrate selenium-related knowledge with Guangxi’s selenium-enriched resources and selenium-enriched industries to create industries and cultures with regional characteristics is also the key to the development of selenium-enriched industries. At present, the development of the selenium-enriched industry in Guangxi still stays in the primary industry, and the lack of integration with the secondary and tertiary industries has affected the brand development of the selenium-enriched industry in Guangxi[4].

4 Recommendations for high-quality development of selenium-enriched industry in Guangxi

4.1 Fully transforming resource advantages of selenium-enriched soil into industrial advantagesDoing a good job in the development and utilization of selenium-enriched soil resources is a precondition for the building of "natural selenium-enriched" brand. With the support of innovation-driven funds, Guangxi has carried out relevant research but the research on selenium-enriched soil resources has just started, and it needs to continue to lay a solid foundation to form constant support for the project. If it is only a "gust of wind" type of financial support and the research lacks sustainability, the development of selenium-enriched soil resources in Guangxi will also be restricted, and the development of basic industries without good resources will be impossible to realize[3,5].

4.2 Seamless connection between science and technology leading and industrial supportThe integration of science and technology leading and industrial support funds is the key to the smooth transformation of scientific and technological achievements into industrial support. Scientific and technological achievements must be practical, not just talking on paper, but combining the present situation and reality of the industry to truly serve the industry.

4.3 Strengthening the research and development of selenium-enriched deep processing technology, extending the selenium-enriched industry chain, to double the output value of the selenium-enriched industryGuangxi has certain advantages in the development of primary selenium-enriched industries, but because it is only primary selenium-enriched agricultural products, Guangxi’s selenium-enriched agricultural products have low added value. With the enhancement of people’s health awareness, it is very important to develop selenium-enriched deep-processed products with health care functions and to give full play to the advantages of natural selenium-enriched brands[8,10].

4.4 Promoting selenium-enriched products to become "online celebrity"It is recommended to strengthen the expansion of sales models, use e-commerce platforms, TikTok , live broadcast and other online sales platforms to carry out various forms of sales, and create "online celebrity" selenium-enriched products with Guangxi characteristics. In addition, it is recommended to establish a big data monitoring platform, to provide production companies with transparent supply and demand information. It is necessary to improve the supervision mechanism of selenium-enriched products, so that consumers can buy at ease and regulate the sales market.

4.5 Establishing "selenium culture" industry with Guangxi characteristicsIn order to highlight the advantages of Guangxi’s "natural selenium enrichment", it is recommended to focus on building selenium-enriched leisure agriculture and selenium-enriched pastoral complexes with different regional characteristics, or integrate with longevity regional brands and ecological advantage brands, and promote integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries according to local conditions[6,8,10]. For example, it is feasible to strengthen publicity efforts for different consumer groups to establish industrial integration development models such as "Selenium Museum" and "Selenium Culture Town" that integrate publicity and experience.