China targets double agricultural exports (Xinhua) Updated: 2004-05-14 09:21
China hopes to double its agricultural exports in a decade to meet its
economic growth need and increase farmers' incomes.
Such target could be met in the year 2013, Vice Minister of Commerce Yu
Guangzhou told a symposium on agricultural exports and export credit insurance
Wednesday.
Agriculture will be one of the key sectors fueling trade both domestically
and abroad in the coming years. The quality of agricultural products will be
monitored and improved at the beginning of the production chain, Yu said.
China exported US$21.2 billion worth of agricultural products last year,
mainly marine products, garden and animal products and grain, up 17.9 percent
year-on-year. The major buyers include Japan, the United States and the European
Union.
"But technical barriers to trade (TBT), in the name of environmental
protection and health requirements, are hindering agricultural exports," said
Han Jun, a senior researcher with the Development Research Center of the State
Council, a think-tank of China's cabinet.
According to a survey by the Ministry of Commerce last year, 89.7 percent of
Chinese enterprises exporting local food specialties and animal products said
their business was affected by TBT, 82 percent said they lost market shares and
35 percent were pushed out of the market.
"Chinese losses caused by TBT included US$4.4 billion worth of live animal
exports and US$4.1 billion worth of plant products exports last year," said Xia
Youfu, professor with the University of International Business and Economics.
Other products, such as animal fat and plant oil, food and beverage were also
affected.
Meanwhile, the agricultural exports were helpful for the employment of
abundant rural labor and increasing the farmers' income.
About 16 million of the abundant rural laborers got jobs related to
agricultural exports annually. "One national leading agricultural enterprise can
offer about 76,000 jobs and per ton of corn exports will offer one job," Xia
said.
Statistics from eastern China's Shandong Province, major exporter of
agricultural goods including vegetable, marine and animal products, show that
the average income of farmers increased by 140 yuan (US$16.9) year-on-year in
2001 and of which, 70 yuan was gained from agricultural exports.
Zhou Xudi, deputy general manager of the Shaanxi Hengxing Fruit Juice
Beverage Co Ltd, said the company's business benefits over 600,000 rural
families cultivating fruit trees scattered in 13 counties and offers 3,000
long-term jobs and 40,000 short-term jobs per year.
"Agricultural exports contribute not only to the increase of foreign currency
reserve, but more to the increase of farmer's income, employment and the
optimization of the industry structure in rural areas," Yu
said.