Chinese farmers' income grows 11.4% in first nine months
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-10-20 09:31
The per capita cash income of Chinese farmers hit 2,762 yuan (345 U.S.
dollars) in the first nine months of the year, up 11.4 percent year on year, a
National Bureau of Statistics spokesman said in Beijing on Thursday.
Responding to questions at a press conference, spokesman Li Xiaochao
attributed the growth of farmers' income to several factors, including growing
earnings of migrant laborers and higher income yielded from farm produce sales.
Revenue growth in secondary and tertiary industries in rural areas and
government subsidies to farmers have also given farmers' income a boost, the
spokesman said.
"This is really good news," he said. "The central government
has always been concerned about increasing farmers' income."
Over the
past three years, farmers' per capita income has grown at a double-digit rate,
he noted.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the abolition of the
agricultural tax on January 1 this year has reduced farmers' per capita annual
tax burden by 140 yuan (18 dollars) compared with 1999. (For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)
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