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China to fully liberalize grain purchasing market
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-05-20 09:43
An executive meeting held in Beijing Wednesday by the State Council, China's
cabinet, agreed to fully liberalize the grain purchasing market in 2004 and
passed a draft regulation on grain circulation management.
The meeting, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, held that conditions for further
reform on grain circulation systems are mature with the deepening marketization
of national economy.
The liberalization of the grain purchasing market should be carried out
stably and actively, and a unified, open, competitive and orderly grain market
system should be established, according to the meeting.
The meeting called for direct subsidies to farmers so as to protect the
interests of those growing grains, as well as further reform on state-owned
grain enterprises, which used to maintain a monopoly over grain markets.
The Chinese government has announced this year that licensed grain trading
companies may purchase grain at market-driven prices after new grain comes into
market, but minimum purchasing prices of some varieties of rice are set for
protecting the interests of rice growers and spurring rice production.
The meeting also underscored the importance of canceling agricultural taxes
in five years to alleviate burdens on farmers, and passed draft regulations on
license management for dangerous solid waste use.
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