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China Daily | Updated: 2009-01-23 07:37

Jan 23, 1984

Rural plan highlights commodity production

China's rural commodity production has grown rapidly in the past five years, and will continue to be promoted as a fundamental task for the country, according to He Kang, minister of Agriculture Animal Husbandry and Fishery.

Chinese farmers sold 80 million tons of grain and 4.25 million tons of cotton to the State in 1983, more than in any previous year. The value of farm and sideline products almost doubled between 1978 and 1982.

This indicates that the countryside is now in a period of transition from a semi self-contained economy to a commodity economy, with large numbers of farmers shifting from crop cultivation to other lines of production under the responsibility system, He said.

More jobs for disabled

All disabled citizens who can work will be given jobs, while measures will be taken to enable all the city's 91 street committees to run neighborhood factories, according to the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau.

There are 21,000 blind, deaf-mute and other disabled people in the city area - an average of four per thousand. Around 14,000 have the ability to work and 11,000 have already found jobs.

The Civil Affairs Bureau plans to finance the opening of 20 more small factories this year to provide work for the remaining 3,000 handicapped people.