More focus on rural development in 2009

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-28 20:34

BEIJING -- China concluded its annual two-day central rural work conference Sunday with a pledge to give priority to maintaining stable rural and agricultural development, ensuring supplies of farm produce and facilitating income increases for farmers.

Attendees agreed the government would increase subsidies for agricultural production next year. This year, subsidies for things like grain production, seed purchases, farm vehicles and production materials, such as fertilizer, totaled 102.86 billion yuan, according to Agricultural Minister Sun Zhengcai.

Next year, China will begin building cotton production bases in the Yangtze River valley and Huanghe, Huaihe and Haihe plains, according to the conference attendees.

Policy makers also said, infrastructure construction projects in both urban and rural areas should employ as many migrant rural workers as possible in 2009. Additional jobs for public benefit should be provided to migrant workers first.

Those migrant workers who returned home jobless should be encouraged to start their own businesses. They will be given credit extensions, tax breaks, business registration and information consulting.

In terms of rural infrastructure construction, priority should be given to projects that improve water, power and gas supplies as well as those which provide more and better roads and housing, according to policymakers.

Meanwhile, an additional 60 million rural residents should be offered safe drinking water, they added.

It is estimated that China yielded a record 528.2 billion kilograms of grain this year, representing an annual grain output growth for the fifth consecutive year.

Sun Zhengcai said the yield was 26.9 billion kg, or 5.4 percent, higher than last year's figure.

Farmers' annual per-capita net income is estimated to reach 4,700 yuan (US$687.1) this year, up 8 percent or so in real term from the previous year level. The annual growth rate of farmers' income exceeded 6 percent for five years in a row.