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Farmers to get help from grain price rise
By Li Xinran |
January 17, 2009, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE central government plans to increase grain prices to boost farmers' earnings as the income gap between urban and rural residents exceeded 10,000 yuan (US$1,450) last year and it becomes tougher for rural workers to find jobs in big cities.
Average rural incomes increased more than 2,000 yuan in the past five years but still lagged earnings of city residents, who earned 3.36 times more than rural residents in 2008, up slightly from a year ago, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
The gap was the widest since China launched its reform and opening policy in 1978.
The growing differential was caused by falling prices of agricultural products, China Business News said.
Farming accounted for 42.1 percent of rural residents' incomes, while salaries made up for 38.6 percent, according to the ministry. As future forecasts of agricultural product prices and opportunities for migrant workers are not optimistic, farmers face increasing challenges in improving their earnings, the report said.
The output of coastal manufacturers has declined significantly as a result of the global economic downturn, forcing millions of rural migrants to return to their hometowns. About 7 million to 8 million people from five major migrant worker providers, including Sichuan and Henan provinces, have gone home, accounting for 6.5 percent of all such workers.
The ministry wants to speed development of the agricultural products processing industry and is encouraging enterprises to move to small towns.
Average rural incomes increased more than 2,000 yuan in the past five years but still lagged earnings of city residents, who earned 3.36 times more than rural residents in 2008, up slightly from a year ago, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
The gap was the widest since China launched its reform and opening policy in 1978.
The growing differential was caused by falling prices of agricultural products, China Business News said.
Farming accounted for 42.1 percent of rural residents' incomes, while salaries made up for 38.6 percent, according to the ministry. As future forecasts of agricultural product prices and opportunities for migrant workers are not optimistic, farmers face increasing challenges in improving their earnings, the report said.
The output of coastal manufacturers has declined significantly as a result of the global economic downturn, forcing millions of rural migrants to return to their hometowns. About 7 million to 8 million people from five major migrant worker providers, including Sichuan and Henan provinces, have gone home, accounting for 6.5 percent of all such workers.
The ministry wants to speed development of the agricultural products processing industry and is encouraging enterprises to move to small towns.
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