Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu has encouraged rural people to increase agricultural production and explore rural markets to soften the effects of the global economic slowdown.

Visiting a photo exhibition about China's rural development on Thursday, Hui said the efforts would be significant in raising domestic consumption and maintaining stable economic growth.

Hui called on local authorities to work harder to ensure farm supplies and farmers' incomes and to improve rural living standards.

The exhibition of more than 900 pictures in Beijing features the progress of China's campaign to build a new socialist countryside.

China harvested 528.5 billion kilograms of grain last year, up 5.4 percent from 2007, the fifth consecutive increase. The rise in rural per capita net income reached 8 percent in 2008 following an annual increase of more than 300 yuan (US$44), more than 6 percent, over the previous four years.

(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2009)