Many peasants have little or no land at all, so they have to work

Recently, some articles have questioned the poverty of farmers on the Internet, arguing that their income from farming is not low. However, in fact, the situation in the rural areas of the mainland is complicated and cannot be generalized on an individual basis. Due to the lack of land and the meager income, a large number of farmers can only make ends meet by going out to work. We cannot underestimate the hardships of the peasants, nor can we consider the countryside to be rich.

Rural conditions vary greatly from region to region. The per capita land in the plain area is small, only about one acre, and the income from farming is indeed very meager. However, farmers in some mountainous areas have more land and higher income from planting, which is not representative of the situation of all farmers. To treat the peasants well, we must face up to the reality of poverty in the rural areas, and we must not use individual examples to negate common phenomena.

As a matter of fact, there are a large number of "low-income households" and "five-guarantee households" in the rural areas of the mainland, who have no land and can only rely on the minimum guarantee to survive. There are also many farmers who have only a few acres of thin fields, and their income from planting is far from making ends meet, and they have to go out to work. For them, farming is just a backstop.

Since the beginning of this year, the epidemic has led to a contraction in employment, and many returning farmers have no way to work. Many of them are in a state of acute poverty. All this shows that there is still a serious problem of poverty in the rural areas of the mainland, and we cannot understate it. Lack of understanding and empathy for rural conditions can lead to misperceptions.

Improving the appearance of rural areas and increasing peasants' incomes requires long-term efforts by the state. This requires not only increasing rural fiscal transfers, but also creating more non-farm employment opportunities and absorbing surplus rural labor. On this basis, we should further promote the modernization of agriculture and make agriculture a dignified profession.

The difficulties of farmers need the joint attention and help of all sectors of society. We must maintain a modest and cautious attitude and not underestimate the severity of rural poverty. Only by facing the problem squarely can we solve the problem. Let's work together to lift farmers out of poverty and respect their work and contributions.