|
Farmers' income surging in 2005
(People's Daily)
Updated: 2006-02-26 10:35
Chinese farmers witnessed the highest annual income increase in eight years
last year, according Agricultural Minister Du Qinglin.
Farmers work in a
green house in Liaocheng, East China's Shandong Province February 18,
2006. [newsphoto] |
The per capita annual net income of farmers topped 3,255 yuan (US$401.9), a
year-on-year increase of 6.2 percent, Du said at a Standing Committee meeting of
the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) held in Beijing on Saturday.
Analyzing the structure of farmers' income, Du said income generated by
migrant workers constituted a major part of the increase. Other factors for the
increased income included more income from crop cultivation and off-farm
employment.
Meanwhile, Du said, migrant workers across the country were helped to recover
wages valued at 4.05 billion yuan (US$500 million) delayed by their employers in
2005.
However, China still faces great challenges such as growing surplus farmers.
Government statistics show that China has 150 million surplus farmers, and the
figure will grow by 6 million in each of the next few years.
The Ministry of Agriculture will increase input in training young farmers who
wish to work in cities. Last year, 2.8 million farmers received such training
and 2.4 million of them found jobs in cities.
|
