The government has planned to invest 150 million yuan (US$18 million) into a nationwide training programme to sharpen competitiveness of farmers to use practical technologies by 2005.

About 21 million farmers across China have been targetted as trainees over the next three years.

Li Xueyong, vice-minister of science and technology, said his ministry is responsible for one-third of the total budget and the rest will be earmarked by provincial and local governments.

"The programme is aimed to promote farmers' production technologies and their scientific awareness,'' Li said at yesterday's launch ceremony for the programme.

Hundreds of agricultural researchers, engineers and professors are going to be sent to rural areas to publicize agricultural science and technology.

Chinese farmers are commonly short on scientific education and technology knowledge.

About 64 per cent of China's population are living in rural areas, but the average amount of time spent in school measures less than seven years. Nearly 40 per cent of rural labourers are illiterate or possess a low level of reading proficiency.

In addition, less than 5 per cent of rural labourers have received any kind of comprehensive vocational training.

The Ministry of Agriculture has already attached great importance to farming sciences, and 2003 has been designated as "the year of agricultural technology.''

The ministry has also launched a nationwide scheme to promote the products in which China has a competitive advantage through technological innovation.

In the project's first phase, the scheme has been carried out in the production of soybean with high oil content, special-purpose corn and wheat, cotton and dairy goods, according to ministry sources.

The key objective of the scheme is to increase the competitive advantage enjoyed by Chinese agricultural products through the application of low-cost and effective agri-technology to the production of agricultural products, explained an official surnamed Zhang from the ministry.

Zhang said China will cultivate a series of high-tech agricultural enterprises and press ahead with research on advanced agri-technology to boost eco-farming.

Chinese farmers will also benefit from the scheme, Zhang said, adding that the Ministry of Agriculture will continue the "green'' training programme on eco-farming for farmers.

The programme also includes courses designed to assist rural labourers in transferring to tertiary industries.

Zhang said the ministry plans to build 500 "farming technology bookstores'' in west China and to provide free agricultural books and video resources to local farmers.

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