January: First document of the year, issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council to address government priorities at the beginning of the year, for the first time included the concept of "family farming".

March: Li Keqiang said joint-stock land ownership, family farming and rural cooperatives represent a development trend in modern agriculture. The pilot area at the Yangtze River Delta, where there are a lot of people and little land, serves as a reference for other areas in the country.

April: The State Council rolled out its first major reform in agriculture since inauguration in Heilongjiang province to test the development of modern agriculture, "an important strategic mission" that will sustain economic growth, increase income for farmers and improve people's well-being.