Sichuan quake survivors face first winter

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Ma Haibing, a villager, said, " We are bearing half the cost of the house, and the government is responsible for the other half. We paid 45-thousand yuan, and the government is paying the rest."

In Xujiaping village of Lueyang County, rows of permanent  new homes have been completed. All the houses are designed  to withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake，and each cost over  80-thousand yuan.

The local government has also sent stoves and quilts to all the families to help them tide over the cold winter months.

With a good harvest in the province this year, farmers will not need to worry about food. But the new houses have almost drained their funds. And the local government has taken a series of measures to encourage farmers to plant cash crops and raise livestock.

Xie Ming, the Head of Guozhen Town of Lueyang County, said, " From a long-term perspective, we are encouraging farmers to grow nuts, such as walnuts and chestnuts. We are also encouraging them to plant medicinal fungi, as well as mulberry trees for the silk industry. This will help them increase their incomes."