Farmers struggle in face of price freezes
Updated: 2008-01-19 14:16
Chen Wensheng, deputy head of the New Countryside Research Center with Hunan Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, believes the government should leave the price of goods to market forces.
"Rises in farm produce reflect the law of the market, which will in turn help compensate farmers," said Chen Wensheng, deputy head of the New Countryside Research Center with the Hunan Provincial Academy of Social Sciences.
"Without question, it is a key challenge for the Chinese government to balance inflation curbs and steady price increases of produce for the good of farmers," said Chen.
Some experts hope the famers' worries would be eased as the government moves to adopt more methods to overcome the difficulties.
"The Chinese government will strive to bring the price hikes under control ... by expanding (farm) production for steady supply," said Gao Hongbin, vice minister of agriculture, at a recent press conference.
The central government has pledged to enhance rural infrastructure construction, promote stable development of agriculture and facilitate a sustained income growth for farmers in 2008.
The pledge should be carried out and a certain period of time thereafter in accordance with the requirement of realizing integration of urban and rural economic and social development, according to a rural work conference.
Efforts should be exerted to ensure supply of major agricultural products, settle problems concerning people's livelihood in rural areas and push forward the "new countryside" scheme.
Polices benefiting farmers should be improved and investment in agriculture and rural areas should be increased substantially.
Basic supply of major agricultural products should be guaranteed, and farmers' income should be increased, according to the meeting.
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