A Ministry of Agriculture official said at a news conference on Wednesday that the pilot program for the confirmation and registration of the contracts for rural land use rights has proceeded smoothly over the past two years.

Seven provinces and regions including Shandong province, Anhui province and Ningxia Hui autonomous region have reported to the central government that they have basically completed the work of confirming and registering rural land use contracts.

The Ministry of Agriculture said that it has actively coordinated with the Ministry of Finance to establish special central subsidy for this work.

Confirming and registering the contracts for the use of rural land is conducive to safeguarding farmers' rights and interests and avoiding disputes over rural land.

The entire work of confirming and registering rural contracted land is due to be completed by the end of next year.

The Ministry of Agriculture will enhance its supervision and guidance in local areas to guarantee the work is completed smoothly.