A new guideline supporting rural entrepreneurship and innovation will enable more migrant workers, college graduates and those in high-tech sectors to start businesses in rural areas and help improve the efficiency of the agricultural sector, a senior official said.

In a guideline issued late last month, the State Council said it would further expand market access, increase financial support and provide more training courses to encourage more people to start businesses in rural areas.

Chen Xiaohua, vice-minister of agriculture, said in a news conference on Thursday that the country has seen more than 5.7 million people, including 4.5 million migrant workers, moving to rural areas to start new businesses in recent years.