China's agriculture minister Sun Zhengcai has said the difference in the urban-rural income gap has widened, with 9,640 yuan, or around $1,400 U.S. dollars, forming the biggest average per capita gap since 1978.

An editorial in the Oriental Morning Post argues that the per capita income in China's rural areas has experienced its greatest increase for a six-month period in four years. But the increase in the per capita income throughout China's urban areas is increasing faster, making the urban-rural income gap a much more serious issue.

The article notes if the income of the floating population from rural to urban areas is excluded, the per capita income of people in rural areas drops significantly. It indicates the farmers' difficulty in making money through traditional agricultural means.

The paper argues that farmers on the land are now shouldering the heavy burden of a large rural population and high production costs. This, along with the need for an increased labor force in urban areas, has seen government departments assist many farmers to take up urban residency.

Under such circumstances, the paper expects the government will meet with tough challenges such as who will take up farming in the future and how to promote the urbanization of farmers.