More than 6,000 poverty-stricken farmers in Central China's Hubei province are selling their blood on a routine basis to make extra money, with some saying it's the only way they can earn enough money to pay bills.

Many have been selling their blood regularly for years to make ends meet.

Presently, nearly 6,400 local farmers sell their blood - 600 cc at a time - every two weeks at the blood plasma collection station authorized by the local health bureau in Yunxian county. The farmers earn 168 yuan ($25) each time.