The first 600 libraries for farmers built by the Ministry of Agriculture opened for business Sunday in 12 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in west China.

Built at a cost of three million yuan (US$360,000), these libraries provide 500,000 farmers free books and compact discs on agricultural sciences and technologies.

Each of the libraries is equipped with 500 agricultural science and technology books and 100 compact discs, valued at approximately 5,000 yuan (US$604).

In some places, including Xibaipo Village in north China's Hebei Province, the Jinggang Mountain area in eastern Jiangxi Province, and Yan'an in northwestern Shaanxi Province, all former Chinese revolutionary bases, the number of books and compact discs is double of that in other libraries.

The libraries are part of a long-term project to popularize science and technology among farmers.

Sources with the Ministry of Agriculture say that the ministry plans to build more libraries for farmers and to continuously update the books and information on agricultural sciences and technologies.

(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2003)