Guangdong provincial government announced that more than 4.76 million farmers in the province will be moved to non-agriculture sectors within five years, the Southern Metropolitan Daily reported yesterday.

The move is aimed at harnessing the surplus labor in rural areas and meet the labor shortage in urban manufacturing.

According to a regulation released by the provincial government, the majority of the 4.76 million farmers will be moved into manufacturing or service sectors and be made to migrate to cities or townships.

Last year, salaries accounted for 54.6 percent of local farmers' income, showing that an increasing number of rural residents had become employees in non-agriculture sectors.

A total of 15.24 million farmers have moved to non-agriculture sectors in the past 20 years, accounting for 50.4 percent of the farmers in Guangdong. The percentage will increase to nearly 75 percent by 2010.

According to the regulation, the relocation of farmers will be speeded up in the coming five years.

Measures include providing free compulsory education to all primary and junior high school rural students, increasing rural medicare coverage and ensuring 85 percent farmers are covered by the policy.

All ramshackle buildings in villages will be repaired before the end of 2007. Most rural residents can expect tap water and electric power supply, telephones and TV before 2010.

(Shenzhen Daily April 25, 2006)