China's agricultural sector maintained sound development in 2007, but further efforts are needed to ensure steady progress in the comprehensive on-going rural reform.

Here's Chen Xiwen, office director of China's Central Leading Group on Rural Work, at a press conference on Thursday morning:

On one hand, we can see that China's agricultural sector is developing soundly. On the other hand, however, we can also see lots of problems, among which the weak basis for agricultural development is the most serious one.

In 2007, China's agricultural revenues rose by 3.7 percent year on year, and farmers' per capita net income also rose by 9.5 percent, the highest jump since 1997. Meanwhile, China has also achieved progress in the development of education, public health, and infrastructural construction in rural areas.

However, the agricultural sector is also confronted with new challenges, such as environmental problems, the tension between supply and demand of agricultural products, and conflicts between rural public service and farmers' real needs.

The Chinese government has pledged to take more effective measures to maintain steady and sustainable development of its agriculture production, among which are reducing agricultural taxes, raising subsidies for farmers, promoting infrastructural construction in rural areas, and exploring effective mechanisms for village management.

The press conference was held a day after China's Central Committee of the Communist Party and the State Council jointly issued this year's first policy statement, which is dedicated again and for the fifth time in a row, to rural issues.