China to double income of farmers by 2020

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BEIJING, Oct 13 (PTI): China yesterday said it would double the income of farmers by 2020 and announced radical land reform measures to maintain double-digit gross domestic product (GDP) growth and ward off the effects of the global economic meltdown.
The ambitious goals were set at a plenum of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) central committee here, which focused on issues concerning rural reform and development.
The party said it had set a goal to double the per-capita disposable income of millions of rural residents by 2020 from the 2008 level.
The government would also boost consumption of rural residents by a "big margin" and basically eliminate absolute poverty in rural areas by 2020, according to a communique issued at the end of the plenum's conclusion, which was also addressed by Chinese President Hu Jintao, who is also the General Secretary of the CPC.
Per-capita disposable income was recorded at 4,140 yuan (USD 605.6) in China's rural areas in 2007, a year-on-year gain of 9.5 per cent in real terms. A rise of at least six per cent was expected for 2008, as stated in the government annual report issued in March.
China's rural population mired in absolute poverty was reduced to 15 million last year, down from 250 million in 1978, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Targets set at the plenum for rural reform and development till 2020 also included "improving the system of economic growth in the countryside and establishing a mechanism to integrate urban and rural areas in terms of economic growth and social development."
"The modernisation of agriculture will advance with major progress, and agricultural productivity will be elevated to a higher level, with national grain security and product supplies guaranteed," the communique said.
The meeting reviewed the situation of China's economy and concluded that the overall condition was "good and the dynamic of economic growth remained unchanged."
"The country's overall economic situation is good. The economy is growing quickly and the financial sector is operating steadily. The basic momentum of the country's economy remains unchanged," the communique said.
In an obvious reference to the current global economic crisis, the communique asked all Party members should "strengthen awareness of crises and face up to challenges as more uncertain and unstable factors emerged in the international economic climate amid deepening financial market turmoil and the slowdown of the world economy."
Amid the global economic crisis, experts have cut growth forecasts for China this year to as low as nine per cent, down from last year's 11.9 per cent.
The CPC leaders are keen to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses, which could fuel political tensions in the world's most populous nation. Some 800 million of China's 1.3 billion live in rural areas.