Chinese Farmers Earn More Money

The average per capita income of Chinese farmers increased by 46 yuan during the January-March period of this year, surging 7.2 percent over the same period of last year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Thursday.

The NBS said that the income figure reached 682 yuan during the three months and the growth rate was up 2.4 percentage points year on year.

The NBS attributes the increase mostly to the sales of last year's surplus agricultural products.

During the first three months, the average per capita income from the sales of agricultural products reached 252 yuan, increasing 23 yuan or 10 percent.

Earns from non-farming sectors
Farmers also earned more from non-farming production, due to the appearance of more accesses for rural people to seek short- time jobs in cities and the increasing income of those farmers who working in the township enterprises.

According to the NBS report, farmers' per capita income from the non-farming sectors totaled 376 yuan, up 30 yuan or 8.7 percent.

NBS said the strengthening of the infrastructure construction and the development of the western areas have helped increase the income of those short-time rural workers in China's big cities, as well as boost the development of rural areas.

Experts said that production of non-pollution, green and organic foodstuffs all helped increase the farmers' income.

But some experts hold that though the farmers saw a fast increase of their income in the first quarter, the income growth of Chinese farmers has still been slow generally.

The government should take further measures to increase farmers income by readjusting the structure of the farming sector and offering better conditions and protection to those farmers going to urban areas for short-time jobs.



Premier Zhu on agriculture, rural work and increase of farmer's incomes (From Government Work Report 2002)
  • Accelerating the Development of Agriculture and the Rural Economy and Increasing the Incomes of Farmers


    • Developing the agricultural productive forces and raising farmers' purchasing power are an important aspect of the effort to stimulate domestic demand, and have a bearing on overall national economic development and social stability.

    The following must be done to increase farmers' incomes considerably as fast as possible.

    First, returning more farmland to forests.

    Second, deepening the reform of rural taxes and administrative charges and the reform of the grain and cotton distribution systems.

    Third, making efforts to increase sources of income for farmers.

    Fourth, supporting agriculture more effectively.

    (Full Text) 






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