The country concluded its annual central rural work conference yesterday with a pledge to enhance rural infrastructure construction, promote stable agricultural development and facilitate sustained income growth for farmers next year.

The pledge should be carried out from next year in line with the integration of urban and rural economic and social development, officials at the two-day meeting said.

Efforts should be made to ensure the supply of major agricultural products, improve people's livelihood in rural areas and push forward the "new countryside" scheme, officials said.

Six areas were identified for the above aims:

Policies benefiting farmers should be improved and investment in agriculture and rural areas should be increased substantially;

Basic supply of major agricultural products should be guaranteed and farmers' incomes should be increased;

Agricultural infrastructure construction should be secured and conditions for enhancing agricultural production should be improved at a quicker pace;

Technical progress for agriculture and related sectors should be implemented. Social services for villagers should be expanded in rural areas;

Social undertakings in rural areas should be boosted, while rural infrastructure should be reinforced;

Basic rural operations should be stabilized and rural reforms should be deepened.

China has since the 1980s held a central rural work conference every year to lay down priorities for agriculture and rural areas.

Xinhua

(China Daily 12/24/2007 page3)