China's WTO membership will make farmer's lives worse

"China's farming community ... has not seen a rapid increase in their incomes, and in certain areas they have even seen a drop," he said.

Incomes in the Chinese countryside increased by 4.2% last year, compared with an 8.5% rise in the cities, according to statistics.

Civil servants salaries have nearly doubled, state-owned enterprise employees had benefited by improved living standards, and even pensioners were getting more money now, he said.

"All these groups of people are happy with this progress," he said.

'It will get better'

Mr Zhu said conditions would eventually improve because of measures to reduce farmland, cut oversupply, and cuts to the financial burdens on rural communities.

"I believe that with all these efforts, the difficulties of Chinese farmers can be eased, but this does take some time," he said.

But he warned China's entry into the World Trade Organization would further worsen the problem.

"Agricultural products from the United States will enter into China's market on a massive scale, and then the price of China's home-grown agricultural produce will decline even further," he warned.

The prime minister was speaking at his annual meeting with the press in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, following the conclusion of the full session of parliament, the National People's Congress.

Mr Zhu, 74, is expected to step down at next year's meeting of the legislature.