From our archives

Feb 24, 1984

Changing rural economy

Chinese farmers earned about 197 billion yuan in 1983, an increase of 15 percent over the previous year.

Retail sales of milk powder, milk, canned foods, preserved and candied fruits, and beverages increased on the average by 50 to 120 percent over the previous year.

In 1983, sales of clothing in rural areas rose 12 percent over 1982, and purchases of ready-made clothing, down parkas and woolen garments increased by one quarter.

County health network gives farmers good service

The establishment and development of a primary health care network at county, town and village levels has provided farmers of Jiading county in the suburbs of Shanghai with good medical services.

The county, with a population of 530,000, now has more than 1,600 beds at its county and town hospitals and 876 doctors and paramedics of Chinese and Western medicines. There were only 51 hospital beds in 1949.

Average life expectancy in the county was 71.19 years for males and 75.33 years for females in 1982, compared with 42 and 46 in 1951. Infant mortality dropped from 159 per thousand in 1948 to 15 per thousand in 1982.

(China Daily 02/24/2009 page9)