Fourteen provinces in western China has established an
agricultural information demonstration network to promote modern
agricultural production, said the Ministry of Information Industry
on Saturday.
Officials with the ministry said these demonstration projects
were part of China's national agricultural information service
network which is still under construction.
The ministry said new information technology is playing an
important role in western China to improve local agricultural
production and narrow the "digital gap" with the east.
According to the ministry, an Internet agricultural experts
system has been promoted in more than 1,000 towns of Sichuan
Province, which has helped plant over five million mu (about
330,000 hectares) high-yield corps and bring local farmers a total
of over 80 million yuan (US$9.9 million) additional income.
The ministry said currently about 200 agricultural information
technology demonstration projects have been established across
China, making the Internet an effective support to China's modern
agricultural progress.
(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2006)
