Chinese farmers' per capita net income reached 2,476 yuan
(US$298.30) last year, an increase of 109 yuan (US$13.10) or 4.8
percent compared with a year ago, the
National Bureau of
Statistics said Wednesday.
Income rose mostly because more farmers began to work in
non-farming sectors in cities and towns, rather than just on the
farm, the bureau said.
Last year, the average farmer earned 438.2 yuan (US$52.80) from
working in cities and towns in addition to his or her income from
working on the farm, an increase of 45.6 yuan (US$5.50) on the
previous year.
"This accounted for 41.8 percent of the growth in farmers' income,"
the bureau said.
The government's efforts to reduce the burden of taxes and fees on
farmers also contributed to the income growth, it said.
Per capita taxes and fees paid by farmers stood at 78.7 yuan
(US$9.50) last year, a drop of 12.5 yuan (US$1.50) from a year
ago.
The bureau said that earnings from agricultural products such as
grain and pigs were stable, in spite of price drops.
Xie Yang, a senior researcher with the Development Research Center
under the State Council, said the government paid great attention
to increasing farmers' income.
"The slow growth of farmers' income has long been a headache for
the central government, because it greatly affects the
implementation of policies to stimulate demand," he said.
"If consumption in rural areas cannot be stimulated, the full
potential of domestic demand - a strong engine for economic growth
- will not be realized," Xie said.
Slow income growth hinders overall economic development and even
undermines social stability, he said.
Finance Minister Xiang Huaicheng said late last year the government
would focus on the development of agriculture and rural areas when
spending the revenue earned from long-term treasury bonds this
year.
"Agriculture is the base of China's economic development," Xiang
said.
The government will also expand "tax-for-fees" reforms in rural
areas to increase people's income, working and living conditions,
he said.
In
a government work report presented at the opening of the First
Session of the 10th National People's Congress yesterday, Premier
Zhu Rongji said: "We should continue to take developing agriculture
and the rural economy and increasing farmers' income as the top
priority of our economic work."
(China Daily March 6, 2003)