A law enforcement team from China's top legislature has found that there are still many problems in implementing the nation's Agricultural Law, which may leave many Chinese farmers without sufficient legal protection.

From August to September this year, the law enforcement inspection team of the National People's Congress sent three groups to six provinces and autonomous regions and asked six provincial level governments to check the implementation situation regarding the country's Agricultural Law.

The team held a plenary meeting Wednesday to hear reports by the inspectors and sort out the main problems.

Inadequate local investment at levels below legal requirements has proved to be the biggest problem, the team concluded.

Problems also exist with reservoirs, infrastructure, science and technology promotion and rural public undertakings, it said.

According to Oyunqemag, vice chairwoman of the NPC's Standing Committee, awareness of the importance of the law should be enhanced and more efforts should be devoted to establishing a stable agricultural investment mechanism, reforming the country's rural science and technology promotion system and pushing forward the construction of a rural social security system in tune with rural realities.

"Agriculture and rural work are of great significance to the building of an all-round well-off society in China," she said. "Governments and authorities at various levels should make a greater contribution to the development of the country's agriculture and countryside by fully implementing the Agricultural Law."

(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2005)