President salutes farmers, new CCTV rural channel

President Xi Jinping expressed sincere greetings to farmers and people working in agriculture and rural areas as Monday marked the nation's second Farmers' Harvest Festival.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, sent his greetings via China Central Television's new channel dedicated to agriculture and rural affairs.

Spring sowing will be harvested in autumn and hard work will pay off, Xi said, adding that China has full confidence in rural development, given the solid foundation laid in agriculture.

The president said China's achievements in agriculture and rural areas and the advancement of farmers are the result of the concerted efforts of everyone in the Party and country as well as the hard work of farmers and people working in agriculture and rural areas.

Xi also extended congratulations on the launch of the new channel. The president said he hoped the channel will fully display Chinese farmers' new lives in the new era in order to fight against poverty, promote reform and development in agriculture and rural affairs and contribute to rural revitalization.

CCTV's new channel dedicated to agriculture and rural affairs, which was launched on Monday, will broadcast 18 hours a day and focus on priority topics such as rural revitalization and poverty alleviation.

Last year, China designated the lunar calendar's autumnal equinox, which usually falls between Sept 22 and 24, as its Farmers' Harvest Festival.

China has always considered rural and agricultural work to be of great importance.

Each year since 2004, the "No 1 central document", the first policy statement released by central authorities, has been related to agricultural and rural development, highlighting the importance the government places on agriculture.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012, China has lifted 82.39 million rural poor out of poverty.