Chinese farmers' income scored the highest growth rate of 16.1 percent in the first half of this year, with their per capita income reaching 1,345 yuan (US$162.5).

Even with the price factor deducted, the growth rate reached 10.9 percent, surging 8.4 percentage points over the same period in 2003.

The growth rate sets a new record for the past eight years, said Chen Xiaohua, director of the industry policy and regulation department of the Ministry of Agriculture, at a national rural conference held in Guiyang, capital city of southwest China's Guizhou Province.

Chen cited 2004 as the best year for increased income of China's rural population in accordance with the outcome of the latest survey done by the National Bureau of Statistics on rural residents' income.

The Chinese Government continued to adjust the country's agricultural and rural economic structures in recent years, creating an effective way to increase the income of the rural population, Chen said.

In the future, he noted, China will further deepen the reform of agricultural structures, fully implement the plan of developing the preponderant agricultural areas and strengthen the construction of weak rural industries.

In addition, China will also steadily cultivate a new growth point of animal husbandry by speeding up farming and fishery business, to make its rural products more competitive on the world market, acknowledged Chen.

(Xinhua News Agency September 20, 2004)