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China to abolish ancient agricultural tax
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-29 19:17
The agricultural tax, a flat tax based on size of a family and amount of land
cultivated, contributed only 5 percent of total tax revenues, according to
government figures. The central government has promised to make up for
shortfalls in local revenues.
Still, the grain subsidies and other measures appear to be encouraging
farmers to continue to grow grain 錕斤拷 another priority among leaders determined to
ensure the country's basic self-sufficiency in staple foods.
China's total grain harvest for 2005 is expected to reach a record 484
million tons, up 3 percent from last year's record harvest of 469.5 million
tons, state media reported Thursday.
The bumper crop was largely attributed to improved technology, with average
yield per hectare hitting a record 4.6 metric tons (5 tons). "The high growth of
grain production ... shows that the increase of China's grain production has
shifted from the expansion of planting area to the advancement of farming
technology," China's Agriculture Minister Du Qinglin was quoted as saying.
Du reported that average annual income for farmers was forecast to hit 3,250
yuan ($400) this year, up 6 percent from the year before. That's less than half
the national average, underscoring the vast disparity between rural and city
dwellers.
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