Agriculture Ministry outlines rural sector growth

By 2025, revenue from the agricultural products processing industry in China will hit 32 trillion yuan ($4.9 trillion), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Monday.

The equivalent of 80 percent of agricultural materials will be converted into new products, minimizing the amount of materials that are wasted.

The country will also develop industrial clusters in the countryside, Liu Huanxin, the vice-minister of agriculture and rural affairs, said when introducing the country's five-year rural industrial development plan at a video conference. The production value of each cluster will exceed 100 billion yuan ($15.4 billion).

More than 4 billion annual tourist trips are expected to be made in rural areas by 2025, with revenue surpassing 1.2 trillion yuan, Liu said.

"Country regions are planning to attract more than 15 million people to return to their home villages and start businesses," he said.

Rural areas are being encouraged to devise industrial development plans and establish business incubators for returnees, modern agricultural industrial parks and model villages, to promote a high-quality rural industry, the conference stressed.

The development of major enterprises is also vital and land use and loan issues should be addressed. Resolving conflicts between farmers and companies through profit-sharing will also enable rural residents to earn more money, the conference heard.