People in Xihaigu Prefecture, one of the eight poorest counties in China, came out of poverty last year thanks to the protracted anti-poverty drive in the region.

Xihaigu Prefecture, in the southern part of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, has achieved marked progress in helping the poor develop a diversified economy by offering economic assistanceand technical guidance, according to an economic conference recently held in Yinchuan, the region's capital.

Xiji County has created a potato base which processes 300,000 tons of potatoes and turns out 40,000 tons of starch annually, making it one of the largest starch producer in China. Local farmers now earn 300 yuan each annually from potato production.

To improve the poor farming conditions in the prefecture, the central and provincial governments have invested heavily to build 130 irrigation projects which have brought 66,600 ha of arid land under adequate irrigation.

Consequently, the grain output of the six counties in Guyuan prefecture rose to 600 million kg last year, the second highest output in its history. More than 100,000 people previously living below the poverty line in the county now have a better life because of these improvements.