The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Areas of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) convened a consultation meeting on this year's efforts concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers on Oct 31. 

The meeting, focusing on improving the integrated urban-rural development system, brought together CPPCC National Committee members, experts, scholars and representatives from relevant central departments. 

CPPCC National Committee vice-chairpersons Hu Chunhua and Qin Boyong attended the meeting.

During the meeting, Zhu Weidong, deputy director of the Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, presented an overview of the current situation in agriculture and rural areas, as well as thoughts for future actions. He said agriculture and rural development has made steady progress this year, playing a crucial role in stabilizing the overall economic and social development landscape. 

Further efforts will be made to ensure thorough implementation of rural reform measures, apply the experience from the Green Rural Revival Program in Zhejiang province, and finalize strategies, policy and key tasks for the next year in order to steadily advance rural vitalization in all respects, he said.

Some CPPCC National Committee members and experts provided suggestions on deepening rural reforms, building a beautiful and harmonious countryside that is desirable to live and work in, and enhancing mechanisms to prevent any return to poverty for rural residents. They also put forward ideas on formulating supporting policies for new agricultural business entities to increase farmers' income, improving agricultural support and protection systems, leveraging the role of banks in serving urban-rural integration, and enhancing education, healthcare and elderly care services in rural areas.

Representatives from relevant departments discussed the suggestions with the CPPCC National Committee members.

Officials from the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs participated in the consultation, along with some CPPCC National Committee members and representatives from related sectors.