Underscore farmland lease, transfer reform

The document reiterated that the government would continue with and improve the household contract responsibility system that entrusts the management and production of publicly-owned farmlands to individual households through long-term contracts.

It also underscored farmers' rights to transfer their farmland use rights to others, but farmlands were still of collective ownership, and the land could be used only for farming.

No institutions or individuals could interfere with or force the transfer of the land, it added.

The government encouraged local authorities to establish organizations to provide farmers with land transfer information, legal advice, dispute settlement and other services.

It also said the government would finish collective forestry mechanism reform in five years, promoting a household contract system in the management of collective forestry land and ownership of wood nationwide.

Huge market potential

The government would extend its rural subsidy scheme for home appliance purchases nationwide in an effort to boost rural consumption this year.

It would provide a 13-percent subsidy to all rural buyers of home appliances, including color TVs, refrigerators, mobile phones, washing machines and freezers.

A trial scheme had been conducted in 12 provinces, which had seen a boost in home appliance sales.

More items would be added to the list if necessary, said the document, which called for the expansion of chain stores in rural areas and better delivery and billing systems.

It also encouraged local governments to establish rural service centers to enhance chain store management and strengthen market supervision.

China should "especially place priority on tapping the rural market and developing the countryside" to alleviate the effects of the global financial crisis, said Vice Premier Wang Qishan last month.

(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2009)