The agricultural and rural affairs bureau of Yangquan city in North China's Shanxi province issued eight decrees for spring agricultural production -- to ensure agricultural production amid the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic prevention and control period. 

The eight measures cover aspects of agricultural products supply, agricultural materials, agricultural technology guidance services, spring ploughing, animal disease prevention and control, the promotion of key agricultural projects, as well as on aid to agricultural enterprises and improving village environments. 

Officials said the agricultural and rural affairs bureau will implement policies and measures to restore the production capacity of greenhouse vegetables, poultry and pigs to ensure the supply of vegetables, eggs and meat in the market.

In order to facilitate production and marketing, the bureau will help vegetable farmers obtain permits to ship farm produce during the epidemic and set up a platform for production and marketing, to ensure an adequate food supply. 

During spring ploughing, the bureau will guarantee the market supply of agricultural materials. It will also organize the return to production of agricultural materials producers and companies -- and strengthen the disinfection and management of personnel, sites, vehicles, as well as the transfer of agricultural materials, scheduled distributions and quality supervision. 

Officials said agricultural materials producers are being encouraged to conduct marketing through internet and telephone channels and deliver agricultural materials to households in villages.

They added that Yangquan will also continue to provide agricultural technical guidance. 

The agricultural and rural affairs bureau will investigate farmers' planting schedules. 

It will issue major crop varieties and technical guidance opinions and conduct online training, guidance and consultation. 

The bureau will also implement agricultural machinery subsidy policies, advise agricultural machinery cooperatives and operators on how to carry out maintenance services; strengthen natural disaster and weather forecasting and early warnings. Officials said that based on these measures, the bureau will also advise farmers and various agricultural operations in spring cultivation, with an eye firmly on personal protection amid the current epidemic. 

In addition to preparing for the spring ploughing, prevention and control of animal diseases in the spring is high on the agenda, officials said. 

They said the bureau has strengthened prevention and control measures for major animal epidemics such as African swine fever and highly pathogenic bird flu. It has required all farms to adopt closed management and increase disinfections. 

Officials said Yangquan was also focusing on agricultural production infrastructure, agricultural public service infrastructure, rural infrastructure and the agricultural industry development sectors. 

In addition, the city also plans to investigate losses incurred by agricultural companies during the epidemic and the needs caused by emergency production and shortage of raw material reserves. Officials said it will increase assistance to agricultural enterprises and cooperatives, to help them solve the difficulties.