Liu said the TTF personnel will change the way farmers are introduced to new technologies, by providing the technical services they demand and that "are more locally relevant, as opposed to generic solutions adopted nationwide."

"TTF also focuses on introducing market mechanisms to traditional agriculture," he said.

Liu pointed out that since 2002, a total of 593 counties in 24 provinces have launched pilot projects on the new market-oriented TTF mechanisms.

According to Liu, 23,000 TTF personnel were dispatched to implement the project and 5.84 million farmers received technical training in 2005 with an average income rise of 20 percent for the farmers concerned.

The TTF has also gained support from the international community. China and the United Nations recently increased their joint investment in a rural poverty alleviation project based on technology promotion in Urumqi,Xinjiang.

The four-year project that started in April 2006 is sponsored by the UN Development Program (UNDP), China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), and the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE) under the Ministry of Commerce. They will support China's TTF initiatives by introducing farmers to innovative, environmentally-friendly technologies in order to increase their income and promote sustainable rural development.

The budget will increase from 4 million U.S. dollars to 7.4 million U.S.dollars --1.48 million U.S. dollars from the UNDP, 5.4 million US dollars from MOST,and 520,000 U.S. dollars from Stora Enso, a multinational paper products company based in Europe.

It will make TTF a key component of diverse market-oriented systems that seek to meet the needs of farmers, farm systems and rural communities.

Under the project, 30 counties have been selected from 15 provinces and autonomous regions. Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, and Guangxi Zhuang,Inner Mongolia, Ningxia Hui and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions, have been identified as key pilot provinces to develop experimental TTF models to be shared at the national level.

"The project is very timely. It dovetails with Chinese government's commitment to build a new socialist countryside by applying scientific development approaches," said Khalid Malik, UN resident coordinator and UNDP resident representative in China. "I believe the project will not only help farmers develop new business models to increase their income, but also assist China in establishing new models of production to sustain its high growth rate," he added.

An increase in income is definitely a strong driver, but farmers are also attuned to the environment-friendly message.

"Local farmers used to increase output by spraying pesticide, which consumed more time and money and failed to meet the market demand for green vegetables," said Yang Hua, from the School of Plant Protection of the Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

She taught farmers effective ways to keep pests off their vegetables without using pesticide during her five years with the TTF in Fukang.

"Villagers told me that they realized that pesticide-free vegetables were not only good for the environment and for consumers, but also for farmers themselves, because they sell well in the market," she said.

Hard work by TTF staff won the trust of local farmers. Wang Jixun said every time he left for home, villagers would surround him, hoping to take the opportunity to get more tips from him. They also constantly called him for consultation.

"My personal income also increased," said Wang. He was honored as one of the "Top Ten TTF Staff" of Fukang City, and received a prize from the local government.

"We farmers support those who bring real benefits to us," said Liu Linsheng.

Liu has become one of the best farmers at growing peaches in the village. He also organized a "village peach committee" to share his experience with fellow villagers.

"I don't think they are competition for me," he said. "The more farmers who can grow high quality peaches, the more business opportunities we can grasp." "You know what, Heaven Lake in Xinjiang is famous for the legend of a goddess who once held a peach banquet," said Liu. "My dream is that we farmers can hold a banquet just like that, but even more charming than Heaven Lake!"

1

2