BEIJING, Jan. 8  -- Farmers have been pouring milk into sewers after failing to sell it, while the Chinese authorities on Thursday agreed to help farmers through the hard times.

All efforts should be made to purchase milk from farmers to avoid milk being destroyed or cows being sold, said a statement on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Local governments are encouraged to issue subsidies to farmers and help reduce their losses, it said.

The ministry has sent task forces to key diary bases, including Hebei, Shandong and Shanxi, to tackle the problem it said.

Chinese consumers are turning to overseas milk products, especially after the scandal of melamine-tainted baby formula produced by China's Sanlu Group in 2008.