High-tech Called to Update Agricultural ProcessingThe ratio of processing industry output value to the total output value of agriculture is 0.6:1 in China.It is quite a low level compared with the 3:1 ratio in developed countries, according to Tuesday's China Daily report. Qi Jingfa, vice-minister of Agriculture, said his ministry will take measures to promote the future development of farm products processing, especially with the help of further enhanced technology, according to the newspaper. Although the sector has witnessed much progress over the past 20 years since China adopted its reform and opening up policy in 1978, it still lags far behind developed nations. Many agricultural product processing enterprises in the country are equipped with outdated facilities. Some 80 percent of these businesses are using equipment made in the 1980s or 1970s; just 15 percent of them are using those made in 1990s, sources from the ministry revealed. Only 5 percent of businesses are enjoying the latest advanced technologies and installations. All these figures indicate great development potential, which would push forward the rural economy and increase farmers' income greatly if it was tapped, the newspaper said. |
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