China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Thursday that long-term support for rural households will be incorporated into broader rural revitalization strategies, alongside faster agricultural modernization.

At a press conference in Beijing, ministry officials said the country has safeguarded gains made in poverty alleviation as it enters a new phase of rural revitalization.

The country's grain output reached a new record of more than 710 million tons in 2025, reinforcing food security and self-sufficiency for its large population.

Officials stressed that consolidating poverty alleviation gains remains a top priority, with households lifted out of poverty continuing to receive stable support for income and livelihoods.

"Maintaining the overall stability of support policies after the transition period is a very clear and crucial point. We must incorporate regularized assistance into the overall implementation of the rural revitalization strategy," said Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Zhang Xingwang, adding that the government will take measures to strengthen social protection to ensure there is no large-scale return to poverty.

China's five-year transition period following its victory over extreme poverty has concluded. Officials said this phase had laid a solid foundation for long-term, sustainable support for rural households, while industrial and employment support measures will continue to help residents build stronger, self-driven development capacity.

"[In the past five years,] each of the 832 poverty-alleviated counties has cultivated and formed two to three leading industries with prominent advantages and strong driving power. The scale of employment has remained stable, with the number of employed individuals from the poverty-alleviated population holding steady at over 30 million for five consecutive years," said Chen Bangxun, director of the Department of Development and Planning at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Looking ahead, officials said advancing agricultural and rural modernization will be crucial. Smart agriculture, higher-standard farmland, and technology-driven production are expected to lift productivity and increase farmers' incomes.

"Next, we will focus on promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, and develop new quality productive forces in agriculture according to local conditions. We will accelerate efforts to achieve landmark breakthroughs and develop major practical equipment in fields such as core germplasm resources, high-end intelligent agricultural machinery, and equipment suitable for hilly and mountainous areas," said Zhou Yunlong, director of the Department of Science at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.