The Shenzhen government will spend 11 million yuan (US$1.45
million) to help impoverished people in Shenzhen deal with the
burden of rising food prices, it said at a meeting Friday.
The money will benefit about 82,000 people, including those in
5,000 families who receive a minimum living allowance of 361 yuan a
month, and students with financial difficulties. Each person will
receive a monthly allowance of 20 yuan for the next six months,
government officials said at the meeting.
In an effort to stabilize prices at school canteens, the money
will also be used to subsidize canteens in public schools according
to the number of students dining there. A canteen will be
subsidized by 20 yuan per month for each diner.
The move comes after the Central Government urged local
governments to subsidize the needy and stabilize the pork market
last week.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China's food
prices increased by 7.6 percent in the first half of this year
compared to the same period last year. The price of pork rose by
20.7 percent.
At the meeting, the city government also announced a plan to
subsidize pig farms in an effort to encourage pork production.
According to the plan, Shenzhen-based pig farms and
Shenzhen-invested pig farms will receive 50 yuan for each adult
sow. The city government is also encouraging Shenzhen-based farms
to buy insurance for their sows by promising to pay 80 percent of
the premium.
With pork prices expected to reach new highs during the coming
Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, the city plans to
increase its pork reserve by 2,000 tons to 5,000 tons.
(Shenzhen Daily August 13, 2007)