China's farmer cooperatives fatten rural wallets

BEIJING - Nationwide specialized farmer cooperatives have made agricultural production more efficient and rural residents wealthier, according to a report delivered Wednesday to China's top legislature.

As of September, China had more than 600,000 specialized farmer cooperatives, covering more than 46 million rural households, or 18.6 percent of China's total rural households, said a report filed to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC).

Through specialized cooperatives, farmers engaging in the same kind of agricultural production are able to pool resources together and make more money, with cooperative members earning 20 percent more than non-members on average, according to the report.

The report was delivered by an inspection group sent by the NPC Standing Committee earlier this year to survey the enforcement of the country's Agriculture Law and other related government policies.

China has vowed to develop specialized cooperatives and joint stock partnerships for farmers, foster new types of agricultural business entities and develop large-scale agricultural operations in diverse forms, according to a report released at the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.