Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu urges governments at all levels across the country to ensure smooth operation of spring plowing in an effort to achieve continuous growth in farmers' income and grain production.

At a national conference on spring plowing, Hui said although China's agriculture has seen a favorable turn in grain production and an increase of farmer's income over the last two years, it remains an onerous task for the country to maintain the momentum.

The construction of rural infrastructure should be enhanced and the agricultural structure should be further readjusted, he said.

China will step up efforts to check price increases of chemical fertilizer, improve supervision over the quality of farming materials, and popularize water-saving irrigation technologies, Hui said.

In February 2006, China's central authorities released its first major document of the year to formally launch the construction of a "new socialist countryside."

The document sets out 32 measures that will benefit farmers, including promoting modern agriculture, increasing farmers' income and improving rural infrastructure.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2006)