The average cash income of? farmers increased 11.4 percent
in the first three quarters to 2,762 yuan (US$350) per year, the
National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on
Wednesday.
Accounting for inflation, this growth rate actually represents a
six percent increase for the whole year, according to a report on
the NDRC website.
The growth of farmers' incomes was likely to surpass that of
last year, principally due to new government policies designed to
support agricultural development.
These include the cancellation of agriculture taxes, increased
government subsidies to farmers and improved working conditions for
migrant workers.
The report says incomes from farming would rise as a result of
higher production across the board, especially for cereals, cotton
and poultry.
It predicts that farmers' incomes drawn from non-farming work
would also increase remarkably as a result of rising wage levels.
In the first nine months, 95.79 million farmers left their homes to
work in towns, a rise of 3.8 percent from the same period last
year.
Higher government subsidies also boosted incomes, the report
indicates. Central government spending on agriculture will top
339.7 billion yuan in 2006, an increase of 42.2 billion yuan
year-on-year.
Farmers are expected to receive 31 billion yuan in subsidies for
grain production, improved breeds, farming machine procurement,
fertilizer and diesel, double the 2005 level, the report says.
(Xinhua News Agency November 30, 2006)