Rural people's average cash income in the first quarter reached 834 yuan (US$100.5), up 9.2 percent year on year, according to statistics released by the National Statistics Bureau on Tuesday.

In the first three months, thanks to the sharp decrease in agricultural taxes, farmers paid 4.5 yuan per capita in taxes and fees, down 36.3 percent year on year, the statistics showed.

The Chinese Government this year has taken various measures to increase farmers' income and spur rice production. Besides lowering agricultural taxes, it liberalized purchasing prices for grain, and set minimum purchasing prices for some varieties of rice.

The Chinese Government also allocated 10 billion yuan (US$1.21 billion) in subsidies earlier this year from its grain risk fund to the country's grain farmers in 13 major grain-producing provinces and regions.

(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2004)