今年21岁的邢玉红，是商河县赵奎元乡邢家村的一名大棚种植者。在大多数同龄人都跑到外地打工的时候，邢玉红在当地政府有关部门的支持下，在自己的土地里创出了一片新天地。如今，小邢一家种着6个大棚的无籽西瓜，一年仅这一项就有四五万元的收入，一家人把小日子过得有滋有味，邢玉红高兴地说：“是政府帮俺‘土里刨金’的。”
　　自己富了，有经验了，村里人都开始向小邢学习；小邢也乐得将经验推广给大家。现在，小邢成了村里的技术员，大家有了问题都愿意向她请教，连邻村的村民都开始学着大棚种植了。
　　随着市场经济的不断发展，农民增收问题是困扰农村经济发展的一个大问题。近几年，为了帮助农民增收，山东各级政府部门主动为农民联系项目、聘请技术员、搜集信息，还在很多方面为他们提供致富的机会，农民的收入由此进入了一个快速增长阶段。2003年，山东省全年农村人均纯收入达到3145元，比上年增长了6.5%，增幅是近5年来最高的。
　　但政策和政府引导只是为农民增加收入提供了一个空间，农民要真正富起来，还必须在现有经营条件下把农业的文章做大做强。王志良是青岛市农业技术推广站站长，近几年来，他带领推广站的人员研究出了黑小麦、特用玉米、特色地瓜等一系列特色产品。他说，在当前条件下，要增加粮食产量和增加农民收入，既要依靠科技来提高单产，同时还必须对粮食进行深加工，增加其附加值，让农民切切实实地达到增收的目地。
　　其实，科技兴农已经成为推动山东农业的重要力量。到目前为止，全省建立各类农业科技示范园2000多处，科技在农业增长中的贡献率达到了50%左右，标准化基地达到160多万公顷，初步形成了中西部平原优质粮棉产区、鲁东及鲁中南优质花生区、鲁东南及鲁北优质蔬菜产区、胶东半岛及泰沂山区优质果品产区、沿黄及鲁东南优质畜产品产业带、鲁东鲁西优质禽产品生产加工区、沿海海珍品养殖及优质水产品产业带、胶济及京沪铁路沿线优质农产品出口加工产业带等8大优势产业带和专业生产区。
　　为达到农业增效的目的，山东对传统种植业结构的调整在逐步深入。一些地方正在实行的“企业＋农户”的模式使越来越多的老百姓从农业中获得了好处。这种模式采取的方式就是企业根据市场的需求量决定加工数量，根据加工数量决定种植数量并与农户签订种植合同，这样使企业有了生产基地，而农民种植出来的农产品也有了销路，从而实现农民、企业双增收。青岛农业技术推广站近几年来将自己研制出来的特色食品统一设计包装、统一质量标准，也就是统一品牌来开拓国内外市场，取得了很好的效果。事实证明，参与这种种植模式的农民，每户年平均要增收3000—5000元。
　　在改善传统种植模式的同时，政府引导农民逐步增加了高效作物在农业种植中的比例。2003年，全省瓜菜、花卉、食用菌、中药材、牧草等高效作物大大增加，粮经作物之比由2002年的57：43调整到54：46，仅瓜菜就达160多万公顷，高效作物的公顷产值超过3万元。另外，加快了冬季农业的发展，使过去的两作两收，变为夏秋冬三作三收，冬季农业收入占到全年农业收入的40%以上。畜牧、水产业也呈递增趋势，畜牧业产值在农业中的比例提高到30%。
　　农村富余劳动力的对外转移也是农民增收的一条重要途径。 据统计，2003年山东全省实现农村劳动力转移达到129万人，农民人均非农收入1752元，非农收入比重达到55.6%，非农产业的报酬收入已成为农民增收的重要来源。
　　在2004年《政府工作报告》的山东省经济社会发展主要预期目标中，提出了农民人均纯收入要增长5%。围绕这个目标，山东省在发展壮大县域经济的同时，从今年起在全省范围内全面推进对种粮农民的直接补贴，调动和保护农民的积极性，提高农民种粮的效益；挖掘农业和农村内部增收潜力，提高单位面积的种植效益和农产品质量水平，提高农业竞争力，把发展乡镇企业、发展农村二、三产业、推进农业产业化经营与小城镇建设作为今年发展农村经济的重点。
　　时隔一个月，2004年2月12日，山东省又在济南召开全省农村工作会议，会议的中心内容就是促进农民增收，确定了对农业和农民“多予、少取、放活”的方针。农民增收、农业增效这盘棋，正在一个新的规则下快速动起来。
　　
　　Xing Yuhong, at the age of 21, is a peasant engaged in greenhouse gardening in Xingjia Village, Zhaokuiyuan Township, Shanghe County, Shandong Province. While most of her contemporaries have left their hometown to seek jobs, Xing has made a fortune by tilling her own land. Nowadays, Xing and her family members plant seedless watermelon in six greenhouses, producing an income of around 50,000 yuan every year.
　　Xing started to plant seedless watermelon in 2000. In order to support her, the township government specially paid money to invite an expert on watermelon plantation from Changle, which is honored as the “Watermelon Home Town” in Shandong Province, to instruct her in the proper agricultural techniques. In the very first full year of production, each of the six watermelon greenhouses resulted in more than 7000 RMB in net profits for Xing.
　　Low peasant incomes have hindered the economic development of the countryside throughout China for many years, and this has caused a series of social problems. However, in the past two years, in order to help peasants increase their incomes, government departments at all levels in Shandong Province have been making every effort to help them. Besides introducing investment projects, inviting technicians, and collecting information for the peasants, the governments have also offered many opportunities for them to make a fortune. Consequently, during this period, the peasants’ incomes have increased with greater rapidity than ever before. In 2003, throughout Shandong Province, the average net incomes per capita hit 3145 yuan, an increase of 6.5% over the previous year, which was the highest rate over the past five years.
　　Nowadays, there are many governmental policies favoring peasants. However, to make them richer still, much more should be done in terms of agricultural development. Wang Zhiliang is director of the Popularization Station of Agricultural Technologies of Qingdao City. Under his leadership over the past several years, this station has promulgated a series of improved agricultural products, such as black wheat, corn for special use, and certain strain of sweet potato. He thinks that under current conditions, in order to increase total grain output and peasants’ incomes, the government should do three things: (1) strengthen the protections for cultivated land, thus creating a solid foundation for development; (2) apply scientific technologies to agriculture to promote the per unit area yield; and (3) promote the intensive processing of grain, so that its “value added” component can be enhanced.
　　To further increase income, the “enterprise plus peasant household” model, which has heretofore been successfully carried out in some areas, is now being promulgated far and near. In accordance with this effective model, an enterprise sets its production volume in accordance with market demands, then adjusts its plantation volume in accordingly, and finally signs a plantation contract with peasant workers.
　　In this way, the enterprise has a fixed plantation base and the peasants’ grain has an oriented market, which benefits both the enterprise and the peasants. In recent years, the grain products of the Popularization Station of Agricultural Technologies of Qingdao City have been sold according to the rubric of “united packaging, united quality standards, united brand” model, which has so far turned out good profits. Facts have confirmed that peasants following this model can increase their average household income from 3000 to 5000 yuan per year..
　　Relocating surplus labor force from the countryside to other regions is also an important way to increase peasants’ incomes. Statistics reveal that in 2003 more than one million people of rural labor force throughout Shandong Province were transferred. As a result, more than 60% of the increased incomes of the peasants was created in this way, an important revenue resource for the peasants. Meanwhile, with the rapid development of secondary and tertiary industries in the countryside, the resources to increase the peasants’ incomes have also been expanded.
　　In the anticipated goals concerning economic and social development in 2004, Shandong Province has declared that the net incomes of the peasants per capita will increase by 5% over the previous year. Centering on this goal, Shandong will continue to make every effort to adjust its agricultural and rural economic structures, develop quality agricultural products that can be exported, and popularize regional layout, professional cultivation, and standardized production. While continuing to accelerate the county-level agricultural economy, more importance will be attached to town-run enterprises and the secondary and tertiary industries in the rural villages. In this way, it is anticipated that the agricultural industrialization and construction of the township cities will be combined. Actual work will be done to lighten the burdens on peasants. Save for tobacco, all taxes on special agricultural products will be cancelled. Grain markets will be opened directly to peasant farmers to encourage their enthusiasm for grain plantation.