Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 3.3
Production growth for selected agricultural products in
Chna (mllon tonnes)
Products
1978-79
1998-00
Growth rate (per cent)
Total
Annual
Grain
312.70
510.30
63.2
2.4
Oil-bearing crops
6.45
24.57
281.4
6.9
Cotton
2.44
4.16
70.6
2.7
Fruit
6.70
58.50
772.0
11.4
Pork, beef and mutton
10.30
58.40
466.7
9.7
Milk
0.98
7.81
696.4
10.9
Aquatic products
4.08
40.14
883.9
12.1
Source:
State Statistical Bureau (SSB), 1995 and 2000.
Zhongguo Tongji Nianjian
[China
Statistical Yearbook], Zhongguo Tongji Chubanshe, Beijing.
should be able to provide sufficient food and agricultural products to meet
the growng demands of ths huge and rapdly changng economy.
The nsttutonal system n the Chnese rural sector has undergone
fundamental change snce the frst market-orented reforms were
mplemented n the late 1970s. The household contract responsblty
system n the ntal reform perod successfully transformed the agrcultural
economy from the collectvely-owned and managed system to a peasant
household-based system. Reform of the agrcultural dstrbuton system
began in the mid 1980s. Deregulation of residence and labour mobility
has made t possble for peasants to mgrate to urban areas to explore
opportunities for work at higher incomes. However, the reform agenda
is unfinished. For example, reform of the distribution system for bulk
agrcultural products such as gran and cotton has undergone several
setbacks since the mid-1980s. The policy reversals were not only detrimental
to farmers' ncomes and long-term economc growth but also caused
hundreds of bllons of yuan of losses through non-performng loans n
the Chna Agrcultural Polcy Bank. Urban-based polces stll exst n
areas from publc expendture to job market regulaton. We need to bear
these factors n mnd n assessng the mpact of Chna's WTO accesson on
agrcultural sectors.
