Policies Needed to Help Farmers Get Rich

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, March 13, 2003

Policies Needed to Help Farmers Get Rich

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The National People's Congress (NPC) - China's top legislature - and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) - the country's top advisory body - are currently holding their annual sessions in Beijing. The following are excerpts of speeches by NPC deputies and CPPCC members on how to develop agriculture and improve the life of rural people.

Xiao Zhuoji (CPPCC member): The slow growth in farmers' income is having a negative impact on market prosperity and the national economy. There are still a lack of efficient measures to enrich farmers and current government financial support to farmers fails to satisfy their needs.

The proportion of government spending aiding agriculture has not increased in recent years.

State revenue rocketed to 1.6386 trillion yuan (US$197.4 billion) in 2000 from 740 billion yuan (US$89.2 billion) in 1996, achieving a 121 per cent rise within five years.

In contrast, spending on agriculture only grew from 70 billion yuan (US$8.4 billion) to 123.1 billion yuan (US$14.8 billion) during the same period, a 75 per cent growth.

More government money must be invested in agriculture in order to raise farmers' incomes.

Agricultural taxes should be lowered and taxes which are not due should be cancelled.

The proportion of expenditure on agriculture in total State revenue should be raised to 10 per cent.

The rural poverty threshold should be raised from a per capita annual income of 625 yuan (US$75.30) to 1,000 yuan (US$120.50).

Li Zhi (NPC deputy): Rural migrant workers are encountering difficulties when they move into towns and cities because inadequate preparations have been made to accommodate them.

They do not receive equal access to medical services, education for their children and many other services.

The government does not have effective policies to assist rural migrant workers.

Ban Chengnong (NPC deputy): In order to realize the goal of enriching farmers set out in Premier Zhu Rongji's government work report, an effective solution would be to develop key enterprises in rural areas.

When projects appropriate to local circumstances are developed, they can absorb surplus labourers as well as set a good example for other farmers to follow.

In this sense, key enterprises or projects will do a great service in improving farmers' incomes.

Hao Fuxia (NPC deputy): As a farmer myself, I can tell from my own experiences that the most important factor in establishing a well-off society in rural China is to improve farmers' knowledge of science and technology.

Many farmers have realized that an improved knowledge of science and technology will help them get a better harvest, but they cannot improve their skills and knowledge by themselves.

One solution is to make full use of the agricultural technology promotions centres in towns and villages. Technicians at these stations are able to teach farmers about the latest market information, planting technology and access to these resources.

Liu Zhaoqin (NPC deputy): Issues relating to agriculture and farmers are of vital importance and require an all-out effort.

Industrialization is one way that the situation can be improved. Industrialization of agriculture and the rural areas should be developed alongside urbanization.

It is impossible to raise farmers' incomes solely relying on planting grain, this is equally true in areas where grain production is high.

Instead, primitive agricultural produce should be processed into industrial products with high added-value.

Processing plants in rural areas should not only purchase raw materials from their neighbouring farms, but also employ local farmers.

Industrialization in rural areas can supply more capital for infrastructure construction, enriching farmers and upgrading education in rural areas. (China Daily News)

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