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Production & Marketing
Grain Output Increased 5.7% in Shanxi
The estimation on the samples survey made by Shanxi Provincial Agricultural Survey Team showed that, in this year the total wheat output is 2.56 million tons, increase 5.3% than that of last year, pulsing the summer grain of 30 thousand tons, the total summer grain output is 2.59 million tons, 5.7% increasing than that of last year.
The summer grain production in Shanxi Province showed in the following characters: The wheat price has been continuously dropping and the farmers lost the initiation of planting, with the influence of the government policy of return farms to forestry, the planting area of wheat is continuously dropping. According to the samples taking survey, in this year the total wheat planting area is 10.8 million mu, decreased 9.7%, which is the fifth time that the wheat planting area has been continuously dropping and also the lowest since 1949. For the high quality wheat, the planting area increased and the planting structure purified. With the advantages of good weather conditions, the per yield output increased. As estimated, the per yield output will is 237kg, increased 16.7% over that of last year.
Soybean Meal Price Increased Slightly
By August 1, 2003, the soybean meal price has a little increase in China market. In Heilongjiang, the price is remained 2080RMB/ton, in Jilin, the price increased 10-20RMB/ton to 2100RMB/ton. In Dalian, the price increased to 2050-2070RMB/ton. In Henan, the price changed 20RMB/ton, increased to 2150RMB/ton. In Guangdong, the price is 40RMB/ton high than that of last week to 2200RMB/ton. In Shandong, the price increased 20RMB/ton, the price was 2140-2160RMB/ton. The increase of price is the result of the delay of custom declaration for the soybean meal import.
It is estimated that in the near future, the price will be further increase for the following two reasons: 1. at present, the oil factory has little profit and in some big factories, it control the supply to increase the price. 2. In order to ensure the farmer¡¯s benefits and keep the soybean price in a high level, the national government strictly control the import volume.
Shanghai tries new way to reduce farmers' burden
Farmers in east China's Shanghai Municipality will be exempted from agricultural taxes beginning this year, according to a spokesman with the municipal government.
Spokesman Jiao Yang said at a media session Tuesday that the new step was designed to expand the rural tax reform in the city.
With the new policy, farmers in Shanghai will be saved from paying 143 million yuan (about 17.23 million US dollars) in agricultural taxes each year.
China has been experimenting with the rural tax reform in a number of selected regions to figure out how to resolve the centuries-old headache for governments and enable the 900 million farmers across the country to pursue a better life under a more relaxed burden.
Those farmers under the experimental rural tax reform are required only to pay agricultural taxes and related additional taxes.
According to Jiao, the municipal government has also decided to give financial subsidies to comparatively poor suburban counties and districts where agriculture makes up a larger proportion in the local economy.
Shanghai began to introduce the rural tax reform in March 2002. In 2001, taxes on farmers in the city amounted to 425 million yuan (about 51.21 million US dollars), but the number was reduced to 143 million yuan (about 17.23 million US dollars) in 2002.
In tandem with the rural tax reform, the municipal government has also launched a campaign to streamline the village-level organizations. By late 2002, the number of administrative villages had been reduced from 2,693 to 2,001.
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