Chinese farmers´ incomes rise under government policy

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Source: CCTV.com | 09-13-2007 15:40

Full video: Press conference on "Agriculture development" Part(I) Part(II)

China's ministry of agriculture says that output increased in the first half of this year.

Agriculture in China has fed the country and fostered its people for centuries. Even more impressively, China feeds 22% of the earth's population with only 7% of its farmland.

But in recent years, Chinese farmers earning a relatively low income have widened the gap between urban residents and the rural population.

To bridge the gap and build a new socialist countryside, the country says that developing modern agriculture is the primary way to increase farmers' earnings.

Thanks to encouraging policies set by the ministry, rural residents gained more tangible benefits in the first half of this year.

Yin Chengjie, Vice Minister of Agriculture,said, "In the first half of 2007, farmers cash incomes in China increased by 13.5% compared to the same period of last year. The number means an over 6% increase in three consecutive years. It is also the fastest pace of increase in this sector since 2005."