The first 600 libraries for farmers built by the Ministry of
Agriculture opened for business Sunday in 12 provinces, autonomous
regions and municipalities in west China.
Built at a cost of three million yuan (US$360,000), these libraries
provide 500,000 farmers free books and compact discs on
agricultural sciences and technologies.
Each of the libraries is equipped with 500 agricultural science and
technology books and 100 compact discs, valued at approximately
5,000 yuan (US$604).
In
some places, including Xibaipo Village in north China's Hebei
Province, the Jinggang Mountain area in eastern Jiangxi Province,
and Yan'an in northwestern Shaanxi Province, all former Chinese
revolutionary bases, the number of books and compact discs is
double of that in other libraries.
The libraries are part of a long-term project to popularize science
and technology among farmers.
Sources with the Ministry of Agriculture say that the ministry
plans to build more libraries for farmers and to continuously
update the books and information on agricultural sciences and
technologies.
(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2003)