Farmers´ interests better protected

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With the new certificates, farmers will have absolute power to make decisions on how their lands are used.

Wayao village in Shuangliu was the first one to exercise this right.

Chen Guangde, villager of Shuangliu, Sichuan Province, said, "See all these documents? They are the guarantees on my fields. If anyone wants to rent them, they have to talk to me, not the village head or the county head."

Chen told reporters that the government will provide each farmer a grant of 400 yuan every year for each Mu, or a fifteenth of a hectare, that they own. The grant money can only be used in a pension scheme.

Feng Zhenghang, villager of Shuangliu, Sichuan Province, said, "If the land's function is changed after the transfer, the grant will be canceled. So all the farmers are voluntarily monitoring how their trustees use the land."

A special committee was set up by the villagers themselves to solve any issues arising throughout the entire process, including land measuring. All the committee members were voted for by the villagers.

Tang Chaoyang, villager head of Wayao village, Shuangliu, Sichuan Province, said, "I don't have any title in this committee. They have the right to make decision for themselves. It's a fully democratic process. "

The villagers said the certificates protect two things: the farmers' interests, and the precious cultivated land resources.

Qin Daihong said, "Farmers migrating to cities will no longer have to worry they might lose their fields. This will encourage more people to lease their fields. And they'll be able to spare more time looking for a better job in the city."

Editor:Zhang Ning