A draft law on promoting agricultural mechanization was handed
Thursday to the Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress (NPC) for review.
The eight-part draft includes 35 items, mainly involving
agricultural machine research and development, quality control and
expansion of usage of and non-state maintenance services for such
machines.
Agricultural mechanization is crucial to accelerating economic
development in rural areas and increasing farmers' income, but now
the farmers themselves are the main source of investment.
Mechanization desperately needs the State’s legal backing and
policy support, said Liu Mingzu, chairman of the NPC's agricultural
and rural committee.
The average mechanization rate in farming and harvesting is now
only about 30 percent in China. Machinery is mainly used in grain
production, but is still relatively rare in cash crop production
and animal husbandry. Mechanization of processing, preserving and
storing agricultural products is lagging significantly.
In 2002, there were about 14.5 million tractors in China, or
about 0.74 per 100 mu (6.7 hectares).
The central government has issued documents promising to
increase investment in rural areas and offering subsidies for
buying agricultural machines.
"These important and effective policies should be incorporated
into the law, " said Liu.
(Xinhua News Agency February 27, 2004)