The Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Ministry of Water Resources have jointly allocated 3 billion yuan (US$427.4 million) for rural irrigation and water conservancy projects, the MOF said on its website on Thursday.

The move was intended to improve the rural infrastructure and support grain production in 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities nationwide, including grain-rich northeastern Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces and northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, added the MOF.

Another 600 million yuan was earmarked for anti-drought operations in rural areas nationwide for the spring ploughing season.

The government vowed this year to spend 562.5 billion yuan to support farms and the rural sector, a traditionally weak sector, or 130.7 billion yuan more than last year.

(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2008)