China Sets Goals for Agricultural DevelopmentChina's comprehensive agricultural development must now focus on improving the efficiency of agriculture and raising farmers' income, Minister of Finance Xiang Huaicheng said in Beijing Wednesday.The tasks for the current growth stage include continuing to improve agricultural infrastructure, supporting agriculture restructuring, promoting agro-technology and ecology, Xiang said at a National Work Conference on Agricultural Comprehensive Development. China has been successful with its wide-ranging agro-development project launched in 1988. Statistics show that the pilot zones of the project, involving some 1,500 counties, have increased grain production capacity by over 53 million tons annually, with their farmers' annual income 260 yuan higher than in other areas. Xiang said that agricultural production should be market-oriented, and efforts should be made to develop quality and high-efficient agriculture by relying on agro-technology. He stressed the importance of environmental protection, saying that it is closely related to the sustained development of agriculture. He asked all pilot zones to protect natural forests and wetlands, and improve farmland ecological protection systems. |
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