Huang Huahua, Governor of Guangdong, said the exemption from agriculture taxes beginning next year would help farmers increase their income when he visited the Guangdong Agriculture Department on December 12th.

Despite the serious drought since last winter, Guangdong's agricultural area is expected to have a 0.6-percent growth this year. This is the first growth rate after four a four year decline.

It is expected that this year's agricultural production value for the province will increase 5.5 percent over that of last year, to 214.6 billion yuan. The farmers' per capita net income will reach 4,350 yuan, up 4 percent over the same period from last year.

Huang stressed, Guangdong would exempt farmers from the 3 percent agriculture taxes that they were previously subject to. They also said the Government would try its best to insure the food planting area.

Editor: Olivia