Continuous efforts should be channeled into expanding employment opportunities and increasing revenue channels for farmers through cultivating entrepreneurship and innovation and developing new driving forces for development in rural areas.

Premier Li Keqiang issued the instruction during the 5th Conference on Entrepreneurship and Innovation with New Farmers and Business Forms on Sept 24 in Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu province.

Entrepreneurship and innovation are essential to create more jobs and increase farmers’ incomes in rural areas. In recent years, entrepreneurship and innovation have been thriving in rural areas, bringing a large array of new business forms to an expanding population of new farmers, the Premier said.

The great trend is also playing a significant role in alleviating poverty and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, he noted.

While praising related local governments’ achievements, Premier Li called for pushing forward administrative reform and offering more favorable policies and guidance services to better support mass entrepreneurship and innovation.

The supporting measures should involve creating a better environment to attract talents to rural areas and provide villagers with easier access to local entrepreneurship and innovation projects, the Premier said.