The Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), the country's major money supplier to its vast rural areas, will continue to help the state optimize its agricultural structure this year by shifting its credit focus to quality clients and products.

The bank granted a total of 165.2 billion yuan (19.9 billion U.S. dollars) in agricultural loans last year. Outstanding agricultural loans were valued at 233.1 billion yuan (28.1 billionUS dollars), an 11.5 percent increase within the year, notes today's China Daily Business Weekly.

"Total agricultural credit this year will definitely increase based on last year's performance, but quality clients and high-profit projects must claim precedence over all others in loan granting to help optimize the overall agricultural structure," said Li Jianlin, director with the Agricultural Credit Division under ABC's No.1 Credit Department.

The bank will rate all enterprise clients' credit during the new year and group them as excellent, average and poor.

Meanwhile, the bank will adopt simplified and flexible methods in granting loans to good clients.

This year, the ABC's agricultural credit service will continue to follow state policy in readjusting the distribution of agricultural plants and product structures.

The bank will give more support to high quality products while reducing investment in inferior varieties, said Li.

To steer agricultural production toward economies of scale and enterprise mechanisms, ABC will provide more credit to experiencedfarmers, and rural specialized production bases.

Also on top of the bank's credit list are livestock farming and rural small towns.