Han Changfu, an NPC deputy and governor of Jilin Province, once wrote of his aspiration to help farmers live a good life in the preface to a book about the challenges they face during China's modernization.

Later, as Han toured rural areas, he found that some farmers do not have televisions - which he likens to being blind and deaf, causing them to fall far behind the times and the rest of society.

"We should solve this problem and the government has the ability to do so," he said. The local government then spent more than 50 million yuan in 2007 to purchase 100,000 TVs for farmers.

Hou Guochen, a villager from Fufeng Town of Chaoyang district in Changchun, is one who received a free TV from the local government.

"Before we had the TV, we had to go to neighbor's house to watch. Today, we have our own and it teaches us agricultural skills, like animal breeding and preventing animal epidemics.

"TV helps us share many experiences that we can't learn vividly by reading books. For instance, TV informs us directly what kind of vaccine chickens and geese need 15 days after their birth and then after 20 days. It is easy for us to understand the whole story in this way," he says.

Han stresses the importance of caring for the less fortunate. "The interest of the people is nothing small. The government should always pay close attention to realistic and urgent necessities from its people, especially those who are in financial difficulties. The governor has to understand what the people are thinking and what they need. Just like Mr. Hou said, TV opens a window."

"I think in this way, farmers can get information and understand the outside world including urban civilization, all of which will influence their minds and concepts."

Community committees in urban areas and village committees will make announcements to help locate families without televisions.

Grass and mud homes

A survey shows there are 700,000 residents in rural areas of Jilin Province living homes made of grass and mud. Although 80 percent of houses have been improved, nearly 20 percent of families are still living in shelters made in the same way they have been for centuries.

"We will stress solving the problems of poor living conditions from the beginning of this year. I plan to complete this task no matter what difficulties we face," Han says.

Yin Ping, a villager from Changling town of Songyuan city in Jilin Province, says that his family "had not thought about living in a new house because of financial problems".

"Today, we are so happy that we can live in the new house that the government helped build."

"Also I would like to express my opinion, on behalf of some villagers, that if the government can help us to solve the problems by attracting investment and projects. If so, we villagers can earn money by ourselves and live a better life."

Han agrees. "The concept has changed a lot in the rural areas now. What Yin says shows their ambition and their confidence on improving their own living conditions. On the other hand, it promotes the government to do a practical job for local people and fulfill their demands," he says. "We should devote ourselves to finding the roads leading to wealth for farmers so that their future will be brighter."

Nation's breadbasket

Per capita grain production in Jilin Province ranks the first in all of China, the only province that each year has more than 1 ton for every person. The province produces 10 percent of the national total, helping ensure national food security and the balance between supply and demand in the national grain market.

Han says that because agriculture is Jilin's best industry, grain production and agricultural industrialization promote the income of the local people. The annual per capita income of Jilin Province last year was 50 yuan more than the national average.

Per capita production of meat in Jilin Province also ranks first in China, and has for 10 consecutive years. As pork became less abundant last year, the price spiked and supply had difficulty meeting demand.

Jilin still provided 8 million pigs and meat products equivalent to 4 million pigs, making a significant contribution to easing the shortage and stabilizing pork prices.

(China Daily April 18, 2008)