A report was published on April 28 by the rural household survey program of the Heilongjiang Provincial General Survey Office. The report shows that in 2006, the average daily consumption of the province's farmers rose to 2618.2 yuan (US$338.7), representing an annual growth of 10.3 percent since 2001, or a total increase of 63.2 percent. Over the past five years, the living standards for farmers in the Heilongjiang Province were greatly improved in the following six aspects.

Diet structure: In their food consumption, the consumption of grain fell, while the consumption of milk or dairy products, meat and poultry and related products, and vegetables and related products has been on the rise. In 2006 the average consumption of grain for Heilongjiang farmers per capita was 167.8 kilograms, which was 26.1 percent less than in 2001; the average consumption of milk or dairy products was 1.9 kilograms, 2.9 times the previous number; the average consumption of seafood was 3.5 kilograms, representing an increase of 8.7 percent; the average consumption of meat and poultry was 13.5 kilograms, an increase of 37.8 percent; and the average consumption of vegetables and related products was 114.7 kilograms, an increase of 11.4 percent. These changes show that the farmers’ diet structure is becoming more balanced and reasonable.

Clothing: In 2006, the average spending on clothing by Heilongjiang farmers per capita was 199 yuan, which was an increase of 87.4 percent from 2001. Of the 199 yuan consumption, 135.6 yuan, or 68.1 percent of the total was spent on ready-made clothes, which was an increase of 12.5 percent from 2001. Figures also show that farmers are becoming more concerned with the styles and quality of their clothes.

Housing: In 2006, the average living space for Heilongjiang farmers per capita was 20.9 square meters, an increase of 11.2 percent. The quality of their housing also improved. In 2006, the average space of reinforced concrete structure housing per capita for Heilongjiang farmers was 0.8 square meters, an increase of 60 percent from 2001; the average space of post and panel structure housing per capita was 15.2 square meters, an increase of 32.2 percent from 2001; and the average space of brick structure housing per capita was 15.5 square meters, which was an increase of 31.4 percent from 2001. In addition to the increase of living space per capita, the province’s farmers’ living conditions and facilities were also improved. In 2006, only 1.8 percent of the province’s rural households were without private lavatories, which was a 4.8 percent decrease from 2001. 34.9 percent of the households had access to heating pipes, which was an increase of 16.1 percent. 81.3 percent of the households had access to safe drinking water, an increase of 3.9 percent. 3.7 percent of the households were equipped with liquefied gas, which was an increase of 3 percent. All the households and villages covered by the survey had access to electricity.

Household appliances: In 2006 the average spending on household appliances per capita was 79.3 yuan for Heilongjiang farmers, which was an increase of 38.9 percent. For every 100 households in 2006, there were 101.2 color televisions, an increase of 56.4 percent from 2001; the figure for refrigerators was 19.3, 1.1 times the previous mark. As the rural households’ consumption capacity climbed, computers were also added to their purchase lists. In 2006, there were 1.4 home computers for every 100 rural households in Heilongjiang.

Transport, communication: In 2006, 97.3 percent of the administrative villages surveyed were connected by highways, an increase of 2.2 percent from 2001. All villages surveyed had access to telephones, an increase of 7.2 percent. In 2006, the average spending on transport and communication per capita by Heilongjiang farmers was 267.1 yuan, 1.4 times what was previously spent.

Leisure: In 2006, the average spending on education, recreation and leisure per capita by Heilongjiang farmers was 279.7 yuan, an increase of 73.1 percent from 2001. Figures show that farmers were spending more on their children’s education and their own study. In 2006, the average spending on books, newspapers, and magazines per capita by Heilongjiang farmers was 11.2 yuan, an increase of 86.7 percent. Farmers were also able to access more information from the television and the Internet. In 2006, all villages surveyed were covered by television signal.

(China Development Gateway by Wind Gu, May 2, 2007)