Empowering High-Quality Development of Agriculture with Digital Economy: Mechanisms, Challenges, and Pathway Choices

With China's ongoing economic and social development, the high-quality advancement of rural industries has become integral to national strategy. The 2023 Central Document outlines guidelines focusing on expanding agricultural processing, enhancing rural services, nurturing new industries, and bolstering county economies. Embracing the digital economy is pivotal, as highlighted in the 20th National Congress report, aiming to integrate it with the real economy to enhance industrial efficiency through modern digital clusters. However, challenges hinder this transition. Insufficient extension of rural industrial chains limits the application of digital technologies, while weak infrastructure and a lack of digital talents further constrain rural digital empowerment. To address these issues, pathways are proposed: enhancing digital service supply, establishing a robust digital talent cultivation system, strengthening legal frameworks, improving information statistics, and optimizing the ecological system for digital empowerment. These pathways aim to support the digital transformation of agriculture, promoting its high-quality development amidst contemporary challenges. Achieving this requires concerted efforts from government, enterprises, and rural residents alike to harness the full potential of the digital economy in fostering sustainable rural growth.