Agencies that teach farmers new skills and help them tap market demand in China will have their credentials evaluated for the first time under proposed reforms, reported the China Daily on Friday.

Sources from the Ministry of Science and Technology revealed plans to set up the new evaluation system to improve services for farmers Thursday in Beijing at a conference on agricultural intermediary agencies.

The ministry suggested regional governments make the creation of agricultural intermediary agencies a priority to help boost local agricultural development.

Some 190,000 agricultural intermediary agencies have been set up across the country over the past two decades.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2003)