Hu, the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, made the call Monday afternoon at the 11th group study session of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau. The theme of the study session was current agricultural development in China and the world at large.

"The importance of boosting agricultural development must be deeply understood," he said, noting the fundamental status of agriculture in national economy should not be shaken.

CPC committees and governmental departments at all levels should take more effective measures for farmland protection and construction as well as for high-quality grain production, he said, demanding direct subsidies to farmers, reduction of agricultural taxes, protection of farmers' initiatives to plant grain and wide spread of advanced agricultural technology.

The central task is to increase farmers' incomes, he said, calling for establishment of efficient systems combining agricultural production, processing and sales to fulfill the industrialization of agriculture.

All sorts of urban regulations and unreasonable fees discriminating against farmers should be canceled to safeguard the interests of migrant farmers working in cities, he said.

With the changed environment and conditions, China must explore new ways to develop agriculture, he said, underscoring the interaction between urban and rural areas.

(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2004)