China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) announced Wednesday that it is to invest 50 million yuan (US$6.024 million) in the next three years to help train farmers in modern methods.

The plan aims to help Chinese farmers, who make up 60 percent of the country's total population, find better jobs in the agricultural sector.

China hopes to fundamentally restructure the rural economy, which faces tough overseas challenges following the country's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). Modernization in farming and urbanization are forcing more farmers to find other jobs.

A national census showed that 90 percent of over 800 million Chinese farmers had never received high school education. Only five percent of the rural labor population had received any systematic technological training.

Li Xueyong, vice minister of MOST, said it was imperative to provide farmers with more opportunities to learn modern technology.

The Spark Program was initiated by MOST in 1985, and the ministry plans to improve the capability of young rural people, upgrade grass-roots management for advancing technological skills, build a nationwide network for distance education and encourage rural enterprises to join international competition.

The ministry has already established more than 5,000 education bases throughout the country, training over 70 million rural people.
 
(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2003)