While millions of migrant workers struggle to make ends meet in China's big cities, many others go against the trend by returning to their rural hometowns to start their own businesses.

China had over 270 million migrant workers by the end of 2015. However, government statistics say 4.5 million of them have bid farewell to their migrant lives and started their own businesses in the countryside. And the numbers keep increasing.

"The migrant workers have work experience in cities and market sensitivity. They could better meet consumers' demands for upgrading consumption of agricultural products," Zhu Ming with Agriculture Ministry's expert consultative Committee, said.

Planting featured products, processing agricultural products and rural tourism are popular choices for getting into business.

The new trend comes as the government is encouraging people to set up rural startups.

Henan province is one of the major sources of migrant workers in China. It has introduced a series of policies supporting small and micro enterprises, including entrepreneurship and technical training, tax preferences and funding support.

"The biggest problem for migrant workers who return home to start a business is lack of capital. In the past three years, we have made more than 100 million yuan worth of small loans to help over 8 thousand 5 hundred migrant workers solve this problem," Lin Hongjia, head of Xihua County's Rural Work Leading Group in Henan Province, said.

The Agriculture Ministry will initiate a five-year training plan for migrant workers from this year, to encourage them return to their hometowns and start businesses.

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