BEIJING - Chinese authorities said Friday that the country will intensify its efforts to crack down on fake and shoddy goods in rural markets during the first quarter of this year.

Counterfeit consumer products and producer goods which are closely related to farmers' lives, including home appliances and fertilizer, will be the targets of the crackdown, according to a circular jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and nine other ministries and offices.

In order to protect farmers' rights, authorities will step up the supervision of wholesale markets, fairs and sales outlets in rural areas, shut down illegal workshops, and severely punish companies that are found to produce fake goods, the circular said.