Farmers urged to join co-ops

Agricultural experts have urged farmers to set up and join cooperatives to reap greater financial rewards for their toil and enjoy more protection under a market economy.

Currently a very small percentage of China's 700 million farmers take advantage of the benefits offered by collective organizations.

"Only about 3 percent of farmers have participated in such cooperatives in China," Scott Rozelle, a researcher with Stanford University, said at an international conference that ended yesterday.