China eyes more rural development

BEIJING- China will look to improve farmers' income growth and reduce obstacles in agricultural development next year, in a bid to boost vitality in rural areas, according to an annual conference.

At the Central Rural Work Conference that closed Saturday, Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu said while improving the country's basic rural system, China would focus on fostering new types of agricultural businesses.

This will require maintaining stable land contract relationships on the basis of household contract management while guiding the orderly transfer of farmers' land contract management rights, said Han.

It was agreed by delegates at the conference that farmers' rights will be fully protected, and land transfers should not be compulsory or restricted.

Participants at the meeting included scholars, experts and officials from the agricultural sector.

They agreed the government should work to create systems that are more organized when it comes to agricultural production and operation. The government will also help to increase support to new types of businesses like family farms and specialized cooperatives.

Delegates also agreed that while ensuring the nation's grain security and effective supply of major agricultural products, more work should be done on pricing and ensuring that farmers get a fair profit during times of rising production costs.

The growth of farmers' income should be maintained at the same pace, or even faster than that of urban residents, the meeting said.

The government will also further balance urban and rural development and make sure migrant workers from rural areas get equal treatment if they become urban residents, the meeting said.