Food safety is a sensitive topic in China, and farmers are regularly blamed when food contamination incidents occur.

In 2008, it was revealed the chemical melamine had been commonly added to milk supplies. The contaminated milk caused the deaths of six babies and sickened tens of thousands of others.

After the outbreak of the scandal, many dairy farmers lined up to dump tonnes of unsold milk.

Later, though, investigations showed it was the milk collecting stations and processing factories -- not the farmers -- who had added most of the melamine to the milk.

Also in 2008, photographs of wriggling worms in the flesh of oranges spread over the Internet and through cell phone text messages. The so-called "maggot oranges" scare hurt sales of oranges from southwest China's Sichuan province.

Officials and experts played down the presence of the worms in the oranges, explaining them as common pests that pose no health threat to humans. But the damage was already done. Both prices and sales of Sichuan oranges dropped sharply, dealing a hefty blow to the region's citrus farmers.

Experts say in the case of a food safety crisis, the government should take action to protect farmers.

"A false rumor about food safety can wreak great havoc since the Chinese public is now very sensitive to food safety issues," said Xia Xueluan, a professor of sociology at Peking University.

"The government must speak frankly to debunk misleading rumors. It must also use its power to help farmers overcome the troubles scaremongers cause them."

Source: Xinhua Editor: Xie Fang