The central government said yesterday it has allocated 4.71
billion yuan (about US$587 million) in subsidies to farmers in an
effort to support the work undertaken in the spring.
The Ministry
of Finance said the subsidies include 3.67 billion yuan (US$456
million) for the purchase of improved strains of seed, 540 million
yuan (US$67 million) for machinery, and 500 million yuan (US$62
million) to cover farmers' bills for testing the soil of their
farmland before applying fertilizers.
The subsidies allocated constitute part of the proposed budget
spending for this year, said a ministry statement. The country's
budget, tabled on March 5 to the 10th National People's Congress
(NPC)
for approval, is expected to be passed at the end of?its
ongoing Fourth
Plenary Session next week.
Total proposed subsidies for the purchase of improved strains of
seed and of farming machinery stand at 4.07 billion yuan (US$506
million) and?600 million yuan (US$75 million) respectively,
said the ministry.
The subsidies are designed as part of the measures by the
central government to boost agriculture production and ensure the
security of food supply.
(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2006)