The State Council has decided to change the way it promotes new farming technologies to China's 900 million-strong rural population.

A report from a State Council meeting yesterday, presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao, said a comprehensive agricultural technology promotion programme will replace the current system, which has been deemed inefficient.

In the new programme government-run institutions for extending the use of agricultural technology will play a leading role, while the government will also encourage the development of local organizations to promote new technology.

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