Shi Haiyan, a woman farmer in east China's Zhejiang Province, is about to enter the Zhejiang Forestry College after the Spring Festival holidays.

What sets her apart from other students is that the Zhejiang Provincial government will pay her two-year tuitions to make her a better farmer — smarter, more efficient and richer.

Moreover, she represents a movement to improve the livelihood in China's vast countryside — including free tuition for some college students, waiving fees for nine-year compulsory education, improving healthcare, providing living subsidies to the poor and paying social security to the elderly and needy.

At the college, Shi will study the prevention and treatment of forest diseases and insect pests, cultivation of cash fruit trees, medicinal herbs and highland vegetables. She will learn about raising special cash animals and using modern farming techniques.

After graduation, Shi will return to her home village of Huangjiashe in Yunhe County to apply what she has learned.

"To boost agricultural development, farmers need to learn more and to improve their technological skills in farming," said an official with the Zhejiang Provincial Agriculture Bureau.

Zhejiang Province plans to train a million farmers in agricultural science and technology and improve their practical skills over five years.

Zhejiang is not alone among provinces and municipalities in the Yangtze River delta in expanding investment in rural economic and social development.

The delta is one of China's leading economic engines. The delta includes Shanghai and Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, covering 100,000 square kilometers.

This year Jiangsu Province will spend at least 20 billion yuan (US$2.5 billion) for rural and agricultural development to raise farmers' income, said Bao Guoxin, provincial finance director.

"We can cut input in other fields, but we cannot cut financial support to the farmers," said Bao.

Bao said Jiangsu would spend over 100 billion yuan on rural education, training farmers, highway construction, health projects, cultural programs and environmental protection in five years.

Jiangsu's revenue reached 300 billion yuan last year.

Shanghai municipal government sources said the city would boost agricultural development with industrial development methods and boost rural development with the support of cities.

Shanghai will also speed up urbanization, modernization of agriculture and integrated development of rural and urban areas in five years. By late 2010, 75 percent of Shanghai's rural population will live in newly developed cities and towns.

(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2006)