Poverty is declining in central China's Hubei Province as a result of effective poverty-relief projects over the past five years.

The population of "extremely poor" people in the province has dropped to 900,000 from 2.2 million during the country's Five-Year-Plan period (2001-2005).

Xu Yefu, an official with the poverty-relief office, said the average annual income of farmers in 29 major counties across the province increased from 1,505 to 1800 yuan (US$188 to 225).

During the 11th Five Year Program period (2006-2010), the province is to make further poverty-relief efforts to help the remaining 900,000 extremely poor people and another 3.4 million poverty-stricken people with an average annual income of under 625 yuan (about US$78) per person.

Meanwhile, Hubei's authorities will improve road construction, water and electricity supply, compulsory education, medical services and telecommunication systems in some 6,425 villages.

The Chinese government has set major poverty reduction objectives for the 2006-2010 period, including more efforts to help the poor in the countryside obtain sufficient food and clothing.

A total of 7.4 billion yuan (US$913 million) will be spent on this purpose in the central and western parts of the country.

 (Xinhua News Agency February 18, 2006)