Chen Shufang, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) and head of the Livestock and Poultry Institute of the Ningbo Academy of Agricultural Sciences, has called for innovative mechanisms to help farmers achieve sustainable income growth and support China's goal of common prosperity.

Chen noted that increasing farmers' incomes remains a central task in rural development and an important way to narrow the urban-rural gap.

Although farmers' incomes in China have continued to rise in recent years, challenges remain. Wage income growth has slowed, gains from business operations are not always effectively passed on to farmers, property income potential is limited, and transfer payments vary across regions.

To address these issues, Chen suggested advancing coordinated reforms in several key areas.

First, she emphasized stabilizing wage income by prioritizing employment. This includes creating more jobs suited to rural labor in sectors such as manufacturing, construction and rural services, and promoting training programs linked with targeted job placement. Supporting new industries at the county-level could also create more employment opportunities close to home.

Chen also highlighted the importance of industrial development in boosting operational income. She recommended strengthening partnerships among leading enterprises, cooperatives and farmers, while building national public brands for agricultural products and establishing price early-warning and temporary storage systems for major commodities.

In addition, Chen called for reforms in rural land circulation and collective asset management to unlock property income, alongside improved social security and agricultural insurance systems to ensure stable livelihoods for rural residents.