China's agriculture saw an important turn this year, with summer grain output increased 3 percent and autumn crops harvest in sight, said Qiu Xiaohua, vice director of the National Bureau of Statistics, at the first China Business Forum held recently. The country will soon realize its goal of 455 billion kg grain output set at the year beginning and put an end to the five-year decline, which will become the biggest highlight of this year's economic life.

This should be contributed to the prompt and resolved macro-control measures by the government since the latter half of last year on agriculture, grain production and increasing farmers' income. Tax on agricultural specialties were canceled, so did agricultural tax for five years. Direct subsidies were given to grain growers and farmers in main grain producing areas who bought agricultural machinery. The state allocated 45 billion yuan direct fund for grain production, which significantly roused farmer's enthusiasm for growing crops.

It is learned that China's total grain output was 430.65 billion kg last year, only at the level of the early 1990s, and per capita of 334 kg, only at the level of the early 1980s. Worse, the shortage of grain supply has since further enlarged.

Under such circumstances the favorable turn in agricultural this year carries great significance, said Qiu. What's more, from January to September this year farmers' income increased 11.4 percent in real terms, registering the fastest growth since 1997, and the growth rate for the first time exceeded that of urban residents' income in the seven years.

By People's Daily Online