Subsidies only enough for subsistence living

BEIJING - Having lost the ability to work more than a decade ago because of injuries on a construction site, Ji Zhengyu has a hard time making ends meet on an annual subsidy of 900 yuan ($138).

"The allowance is far from enough but it's better than no subsidy at all," said the 59-year-old farmer from Jiangdu city in East China's Jiangsu province.

He can barely manage to plant enough vegetables in the field to stay alive.