Strengthening agriculture will again top the agenda of China's
State Council, or cabinet, for economic work next year, according
to the decision made at a State Council executive meeting held in
Beijing Friday.
The participants in the meeting, presided over by Premier Wen
Jiabao, agreed that grain production has turned for the better
and the income of farmers has increased rapidly since the
government issued a series of favorable policies to boost
agriculture, and grain production in particular, earlier this year,
said sources with the meeting.
Although this has provided a major foundation for maintaining
economic and social stability and development, no fundamental
improvements have not been made in agriculture, and strengthening
agriculture will remain the top priority of the government's
economic work next year, the sources said.
To further boost agricultural and rural development, the State
Council listed the major for this winter and next spring in seven
areas, including protecting farmland and farmers' interests,
keeping a reasonable and stable grain price to protect the
enthusiasm of grain growers, and speeding up construction of
irrigation and water conservancy projects and water supply projects
in the countryside.
The State Council also called for measures to ensure crops to
survive the winter and prevent livestock diseases, as well as
intensified efforts for poverty reduction, disaster relief, and the
supply of seeds, chemical fertilizers, diesel oil, plastic films
and other capital goods for agricultural production.
All localities were urged to implement the favorable policies to
support agriculture, especially those concerning subsidies to grain
production, the reduction and exemption of agricultural taxes, and
the payment of arrears of farmer workers' wage and compensation for
land acquired.
With a population of 1.3 billion, China has always put grain
security high on its policy agenda, especially when grain output
declined for five years running to reach 431 million tons in 2003,
lower than the set warning line of 450 million tons. Affected by
the international grain market and the decline of domestic grain
output, the price of major grain crops, such as rice and wheat,
have all gone up by a big margin since last October.
In February this year, the central authorities issued the "No. 1
Document," slashing agricultural tax rates by one percentage point
and abolishing taxes on special farm produce.
Since the second half of last year, while controlling the
overheating of some economic sectors, the Chinese government has
increased efforts to support agriculture, transportation and
energy. Policies including direct subsidies and tax reduction at
the beginning of this year have encouraged the world's greatest
number of farmers to grow more grain.
This summer, grain output increased 3 percent over last
year.
(Xinhua News Agency November 27, 2004)