China Rural Periodicals, Crnews.net:

Income is the most concerning issue for rural residents. What arrangements will be made to promote sustained income growth for farmers? Thank you.

Zhu Weidong:

Increasing rural income is the central task of our work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers. In recent years, rural income growth has shown sound momentum. In 2023, the per capita disposable income of rural residents reached 21,691 yuan, growing 7.6% year on year in real terms. The income gap between urban and rural residents has narrowed to a ratio of 2.39-to-1. However, there are also difficulties and challenges in maintaining this momentum. This year's document places a strong emphasis on measures to strengthen income growth for farmers, focusing on four key areas.

First, we will tap the potential of industrial operations to increase rural income. Promoting rural household businesses remains a key focus for increasing farmers' income. The document proposes implementing campaigns to facilitate rural income growth and supporting the development of family-operated projects such as specialized planting and breeding, handicraft workshops, and those related to the non-timber forest-based economy. It also calls for optimizing monitoring and early-warning mechanisms for the whole industrial chain, strengthening coordinated regulation across various kinds of products, increasing the effectiveness of consumer assistance actions to support income growth for farmers, and ensuring price stability to promote income growth. Meanwhile, we will intensify policy support for integrating rural and industrial development, enhancing mechanisms that ensure new agricultural business entities and agriculture-related enterprises enjoy supporting polices which also help drive rural income growth. This will better engage farmers in industrial development and allow them to share in the benefits of added value.

Second, we will stabilize the income of rural migrant workers. Wage income has become the primary pillar of farmers' income. The document emphasizes advancing vocational skills training for farmers, optimizing mechanisms for cross-region information sharing and well-organized labor collaboration, supporting senior migrant workers in finding jobs, and actively promoting work-relief programs in major projects as well as agricultural and rural infrastructure construction, thereby advancing rural employment through various channels. To address issues concerning wage arrears owed to rural migrant workers, the document proposes enhancing prevention and control at the source, strengthening risk warning, and improving long-term mechanisms to address the root causes. As this year comes to an end and the Chinese New Year approaches, relevant departments are conducting campaigns to combat back pay, striving to ensure a happy new year for rural migrant workers.

Third, we will expand rural transfer income. Transfer income is an important part of income for general rural households and particularly for the low-income population. We will continue to beef up policy support to strengthen agriculture, benefit farmers, and raise rural living standards, and gradually increase social security levels in rural society. The document emphasizes strengthening supervision over agricultural-related capital and projects and carrying out a severe crackdown on illegal activities such as embezzlement and fund fraud. We will ensure that all subsidies and allowances for farmers are fully allocated and that farmers receive the true benefits.

Fourth, we will give farmers more comprehensive property rights and interests. There is still significant potential for property income growth. The document proposes encouraging the revitalization and utilization of resources and assets, including idle rural residential land, vacant houses, and barren land, through methods such as renting, cooperative development, and equity participation. These measures aim to create conditions to increase farmers' property income through multiple channels. Thank you.