The Chinese government on Tuesday announced 8.3 billion yuan in
subsidies for farmers this spring, up 3.6 billion yuan from last
year.
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) said the funds included 5.1
billion yuan for purchasing improved strains of seeds, 1.1 billion
yuan for machinery, 900 million yuan to cover soil testing before
applying fertilizers, and 1.2 billion yuan for purchases of dairy
cattle and related training.
The government has expanded the range and area of improved
strains of rice seeds and allocated 500 million yuan for improved
strains of cottonseeds.
The total proposed farming subsidies, included in the
government's measures to improve agricultural production, would
reach 8.87 billion yuan in 2007, up 48.6 percent year on year, said
the MOF.
The subsidies constitute part of the proposed budget spending
for this year, which was presented on March 5 to the national
legislative body for approval, and is expected to be passed at the
end of the ongoing session of the legislature next week.
(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2007)
