Vice premier Hui Liangyu on Tuesday called for the better use of the second national agricultural census to develop scientific plans for harmonized urban and rural development.

Hui made the comment at a meeting that summed up the results of the census, which surveyed 230 million rural households over the past three years.

The census would help the authorities draw up effective policies to ensure food security, boost income and consumption of farmers, promote rural construction and coordinate industrialization and rural and urban development, he said.

Hui also urged accelerated reform of agricultural statistical work and better monitoring to meet the demands of economic policy making.

(Xinhua News Agency July 9, 2008)