The Chinese leadership has decided to intensify efforts to boost agricultural production and rural development and help farmers to earn more in the coming new year, according to a central conference on economic work which ended here Thursday.

The three-day annual conference, held by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, produced the guidance, overall requirements and major tasks for the nation's economic work in 2006.

The building of a new socialist countryside and resolution of problems related to agriculture, rural area and farmers has a bearing on the building of a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way in China and the nation's modernization drive, said a statement issued after the conference.

The leaders at the meeting, including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, agreed that this should be regarded as the central task of the Party.

For a good beginning of the work next year, efforts should be made to stabilize grain production, and adherence to the policy of depending on domestic production for basic grain supply.

"We should energetically help the farmers to increase income and continue to promote improvement in the agricultural structure, " said the statement, adding that the construction of roads, water- and electricity-supply and telecommunication facilities should be stepped up the rural areas.

"We will continue to increase investment in rural educational, cultural and health undertakings," it said.

Source: Xinhua