China's Ministry of Land and Resources has called on local governments to step up efforts in drafting a new set of rules guiding local land pricing and subsidy standards for land-use rights.

The official Xinhua News Agency says the ministry's move indicates that a new subsidy standard for land-use rights will be soon come into practice in the country.

Subsidies for land use rights concern the core interests of Chinese farmers. The old subsidy practice of land use rights was on the low compared to the annual output of the land and in loose control, so many disputes and disagreements have been aroused due to the land subsidies.

One official from the Ministry of Land and Resources said that the new subsidy standard would account for the type of land, annual output, location, grade, land supply and demand, local economic development and the minimum life security for urban residents.

The land annual output standard will consider factors like the land category, quality, farmers' investment into the land, agricultural produces and land grade.

It is expected that the new standard will provide more effective protection of farmers' interests in the long term and ensure their living standards are not affected.

Farmers would have a clear idea of the price of their land, which will reduce the potential disputes over prices and subsidies.

The ministry notice said that China's eastern region would set a comprehensive land price in line with designated land for construction in the master plans for urban development.

While in the central and western parts of the country, major cities and the suburban areas would begin drafting the comprehensive land pricing if conditions are permitted. For the rest of the country, a universal standard for annual output will subsidize farmers for land-use rights.

The Ministry has urged that the universal standard for annual output and the comprehensive land pricing policies be strictly implemented once they are in place.

The official stressed that subsidy standards must be calculated on the basis of first-hand surveys, inspections in target areas and in considering farmers' ideas, suggestions and comments in order to strike fair and transparent deals. 

(CRI August 12, 2005)